


Acquainted

by septemberbeauty13



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Eventual Octaven, Eventual Smut, F/F, Stripper Clarke, rating will change as the fic is updated, song writer Lexa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-21
Updated: 2016-07-06
Packaged: 2018-05-28 03:21:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 28,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6313408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/septemberbeauty13/pseuds/septemberbeauty13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Well Raven,” Octavia started, leaning on the bar. “It’s my friend Lexa’s 25th birthday tonight and I’m looking for the best girl you have to give her a good time.”<br/>Raven soaked Octavia’s features in, focusing most of her attention on the girl’s painted red lips, before answering.<br/>“You’re gonna want her,” she said, pointing to a blonde on the other side of the floor. “She’s by the far the second prettiest girl in this place, besides you of course.”<br/>Anya rolled her eyes and Lexa chuckled before turning around to look at the blonde in question.<br/>“She’ll give Lexa the ride of her life,” Raven finished.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I'll Get You Touching on Your Body

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! I'm starting a new Clexa fic because we need happy endings and a never ending supply of smut, so here's my contribution! 
> 
> Listening recommendations for this: Acquainted by The Weeknd. 
> 
> As always, send me your thoughts and maybe some kudos? It'll help me get the next chapter done sooner! :)

“Come on, birthday girl!” Octavia said, dragging Lexa out of the cab.

Lexa rolled her head on her shoulders and looked back at Anya.

 “You’re a little too excited for someone who’s supposedly straight, Oc,” Anya commented with a smirk.

Octavia didn’t miss a beat, “These are some of the hottest girls in all of LA, even I might be persuaded to switch teams.”

The comment was enough to send Lexa and Anya into a laughing frenzy, which if truth be told stung Octavia a little.

“Just because I haven’t gotten on my knees for every girl who looks my way, unlike the two of you, doesn’t mean I’m not interested,” she spat back.

Lexa left Octavia and Anya to their bickering and handed her ID to the bouncer at the front door. He looked her in the eyes and with a grunt, took her hand and stamped “The Ark” on the inside of her wrist.

Once inside, the three girls froze under the dark lighting and took it all in. With no shortage of dancing, almost naked girls on tables in front of ancient looking men, they felt out of place. Octavia, determined to give her best friend the best birthday possible, pulled them towards the bar. The friendliest face Octavia could find on their approach was the only female behind the bar.

“What can I get you ladies?” the dark-haired bartender asked.

Her name tag said Raven.

“Well Raven,” Octavia started, leaning on the bar. “It’s my friend Lexa’s 25th birthday tonight and I’m looking for the best girl you have to give her a good time.”

Raven soaked Octavia’s features in, focusing most of her attention on the girl’s painted red lips, before answering.

“You’re gonna want her,” she said, pointing to a blonde on the other side of the floor. “She’s by the far the second prettiest girl in this place, besides you of course.”

Anya rolled her eyes and Lexa chuckled before turning around to look at the blonde in question.

“She’ll give Lexa the ride of her life,” Raven finished.  

* * *

_She’s a goddess._

It was literally the only cohesive thought inside Lexa’s head as she watched the blonde make her way up the silver pole.

Lexa was seated in the middle of their secluded area, with Octavia and Anya on either sides of her.

The blonde slid down the pole, her legs spread wide, eye level to a breathless Lexa.

Octavia wasn’t lying earlier, Lexa had had her fair share of LA’s lesbian population. There was something about being a song writer that made girls flock to her bed. But none of them had ever captured her attention like this blonde in front of her.  

It was the blue in her eyes and the life they encapsulated. Lexa knew she was different from the other girls in this strip club. She wasn’t doing this because she had no other choice, she enjoyed it.

Lexa watched golden waves fall over the girl’s shoulders as she threw her back. She let herself imagined what it’d be like to bury herself between those thighs. As if the blonde was reading her mind, she carefully hooked a heel behind Lexa’s neck and pulled her into her leather-clad center. After a couple moments of Lexa not being able to remember her own name, a black spike of the blonde’s heel pushed her back into a sitting position.

The girl finished on the pole and crawled across the floor to Lexa, letting her long waves fall around her shoulders. When she reached the birthday girl, she spread Lexa’s legs, and made her way up the brunette’s body.

She reached Lexa’s neck and whispered, “Enjoying yourself, Lexa?” Lexa swallowed audibly and nodded, badly wishing she was allowed to touch her. The blonde placed herself in Lexa’s lap, hooking her legs behind Lexa’s back. She leaned her weight back on her hands and pulled Lexa’s legs apart again, allowing herself to drop between them a little. The sudden movement startled Lexa and she found her hand on the blonde’s arm. Blue eyes met Lexa’s green and the blonde smirked before pushing her upper body backwards and head parallel to the floor.

Lexa’s eyes widened as she gazed down to the strong, pulsing thighs around her. The girl pulled herself back up and bounced wildly in Lexa’s lap, blonde hair shielding them from Octavia and Anya’s view.

The blonde smiled when her movements elicited the tiniest moan out of Lexa’s mouth.

Octavia and Anya smirked at each other and air high-fived. Raven set down three shots of tequila next to the girls.

Clearing her throat, “Hey Clarke, should we give Lexa her birthday present?”

_Clarke. Her name is Clarke._

“I think she’s earned it,” Clarke said, eyeing Lexa.

Raven carefully placed Lexa’s shot in Clarke’s cleavage.

“Drink up, birthday girl.”

Lexa was aware of two things: She owed Octavia big time and she was so very wet.


	2. Tell Your Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven has a plan for Clarke and Octavia has another surprise for Lexa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for all the kudos and positive comments on this story! I always love feedback, feel free to keep it coming! It really helps me update sooner :)

The music was dying down and the lights were being turned on, all signs that her shift was over. Clarke picked up the glasses at the tables she’d been working and headed to the bar.

“Thanks princess,” Raven said, putting the glasses into a tub for the kitchen staff to take care of.

Clarke stuck her tongue out at her best friend and hopped on the bar, watching Raven do her magic with organizing the bottles of alcohol.

“So…you were pretty cozy with that brunette earlier,” Raven teased.

“Lexa? Yeah, she seemed cool,” Clarke said nonchalantly, hoping Raven bought it.

“Lexa, huh? Since when do you remember the names of your customers?” Raven quipped.

Clarke turned a bright shade of red, “Since my customer was that hot! Did you see that jawline or those eyes?”

Raven shook her head.

“I was kinda distracted by her friend…” Raven confessed.

“Oh yeah, the tall one? She was kind of cute…not as pretty as Lexa but…”

“No,” Raven cut her off. “I’m talking about the one in the red lipstick.”

Clarke deadpanned, “The straight one?”

“What are we talking about?” Lincoln, their roommate and fellow bartender, asked as he poured out the tip jar to split it up.

“Raven’s in love with a straight girl,” blurted Clarke, keeping her eyes set on Raven.

Lincoln chuckled to himself.

“I am not!” Raven whined.

“Rae, I love you but you ALWAYS pick the straight girls,” Clarke said, reaching a hand out to clasp Raven’s shoulder.

“Do I?” Raven asked Lincoln.

“Always.”

“Fuck! Well then I guess she gave me her address for nothing…”

Clarke and Lincoln jumped forward, looking at the napkin in Raven’s hand. They were speechless.

Raven broke into a smile, “Just kidding! I mean, this is her address but it’s not for me. It’s for Clarke, she hired you for Lexa’s birthday party tonight.”

Clarke’s heart dropped to her stomach.  

“Ummm…what?” She pulled at Raven’s bicep, spinning her around.

“Octavia hired you as a surprise at Lexa’s birthday party. You know our at-home-stripper service.”

Clarke’s eyes bulged.

“Rae, we don’t have an at-home-stripper service!”

Raven smirked, “I know.”

* * *

 

Lexa walked into the kitchen and huffed, “Octavia, we already celebrated my birthday yesterday.”

Her roommate turned around, double fisting a bottle of Everclear and a bottle of Schnapps.

“Oh my God, I feel so sorry for you because you have people who love you,” Octavia mocked, pushing past her to start on the Jungle Juice.

“You know what I mean,” Lexa said, pulling the alcohol-soaked fruit out of the refrigerator and handing it to her roommate. “I just…the writer’s block finally broke and I’m flowing with lyrics right now.”

Octavia smiled to herself, she knew exactly why Lexa’s block had broken. She’d been in her studio for hours after the strip club.

“You only turn 25 once, sorry about it!” Octavia cut her off.

Lexa heard the doorbell over the music and headed toward the door for the 13th time in the last hour. She was pretty sure she had finally ran out of friends a couple people back but people just kept showing up at her door. Octavia was popular and Anya was funny – it wasn’t out of the ordinary for this many of their friends to show up to a Lexa event, but something still felt weird.

“Who are all these people?” Lexa asked, ushering in four new strangers.

“Oh…you know friends, acquaintances, fans, classmates of mine…” Octavia listed.

Lexa put a hand up, “fans?!”

Octavia gave Anya a look and rushed to the door as the doorbell rang again.

“We may have sent out a tweet on your official Twitter,” Anya smiled.

Lexa dug her hands into her hips, “Why?”

Anya was about the only person on the planet who wasn’t afraid of bodily harm from Lexa.

“Look Lex, someone has to light a fire under your ass. Maybe all these people who worship your work can inspire you to get your career going.”

“I’m fine, Anya.”

“You haven’t written music since...” Anya stopped, looking into Lexa’s eyes. “Since _her.”_

Lexa ran a hand through her waves and shook her hair out.

“That’s not true, I wrote three new songs last night,” Lexa corrected.

Anya scoffed, “Let me guess…would this have anything to do with a certain blonde from last night?”

“LEXA!”

Lexa turned to the source of the voice calling her name from the front door: Octavia.

Octavia and the bartender from the strip club and…Clarke.

 


	3. To Say We're in Love is Dangerous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke gives Lexa a lap dance: round two and Octavia will go to any lengths to win a game of beer pong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been super sick these past couple days but I just couldn't get this chapter out of my head. I hope you all enjoy and of course leave me some feedback! I always appreciate it :)

“I hate you,” Lexa says between gritted teeth as Anya and Octavia tie her hands to the back of a chair in the middle of the party.

“No, you don’t,” Octavia says, pulling Lexa’s hair behind her shoulders.

The bartender from the club, she thinks her name is Raven, plugs in her iPod to their stereo system.

Clarke turns and looks Lexa in the eye. Slowly opening her coat, she reveals that she’s wearing what can only be explained as a black, lacy bustier and black shorts that hug every inch of her ass.

Lexa can’t bring herself to look away, the blonde is just too beautiful.

Clarke walks to her and places her hands on the tops of Lexa’s thighs, leaning into her and looking her dead in the eye.

Lexa audibly swallows.

Clarke smiles to herself and leans in further until she’s an inch away from Lexa’s lips. Clarke opens her legs in a half circle and sinks between Lexa’s legs, letting the front of her body rub against the brunette’s.

_Oh fuck._

When she hits the floor on her knees, she looks up at Lexa. The reaction alone from Lexa’s body gives Clarke confidence to continue. With a smirk, Clarke flips herself around until she’s sitting in front of Lexa and leans her head back into her crotch, letting her blonde hair splay over Lexa’s thighs. Clarke can’t help herself and pushes her hands up Lexa’s torso, letting them caress her chest and internally moans when she feels hardened nipples under her palms.

From between her thighs, Clarke can feel Lexa trying to clinch her legs together. A clear sign that she’s done her job for the birthday girl. She straddles the brunette and grinds their hips together, eliciting catcalls from the party-goers that Clarke forgot were in the room. With the noise level rising, Lexa realizes this her only chance to let her pint up sexual frustration out. Capturing Clarke’s gaze, she lets out a moan.

The moan vibrates through Lexa’s body and Clarke feels it in her core. Suddenly, Clarke realizes something has happened that never happens to her when she’s working…she’s wet.

* * *

Several shots and red solo cups of Jungle Juice later, Lexa and Clarke are enthralled in a game of beer pong with Raven and Octavia.

Every time they make a cup, Clarke throws her arms around Lexa and hugs her. Lexa makes it a point to make all of her cups.

“I know how we can distract them,” Octavia whispers to Raven during the last round. “Follow my lead.”

Lexa lines up the tiny white ball in front of her face and right as she’s about to throw it, Octavia pulls Raven into her. Hands tangled in hair, Octavia’s painted red lips smash against Raven’s.

The shock alone is enough to make Lexa miss.

“NOOO!” Clarke shouts, hands on top of her head.

Octavia pulls back from Raven and shoots a smile at Lexa. Raven stands back stunned as Octavia lines up her shot and makes it, winning the game.

The crowd around them cheers and Lexa is still speechless.

“I’ve got next!” Bellamy shouts, swaying on his feet. He pushes his way to Lexa and Clarke's side of the table and eyes the blonde up and down. “Wanna be on my team? You’re pretty hot for a whore.”

Clarke feels her breath catch in her throat. Before she can gather herself enough to make a clever comeback, she sees a blur next to her land square in Bellamy’s jaw.

Lexa.

“You might be Octavia’s brother but the next time you disrespect any woman in front of me, I’m gonna do worse than that, Bell,” Lexa spits, pushing him away from them.

* * *

“Sorry about that,” Octavia says to Raven, joining her on the couch.

“Is he okay?” Raven asks.

“Yeah, he’s just a drunk idiot,” Octavia answers, looking back at the door of the guest room. “I hope he wakes up with the hangover from hell.”

Raven giggles and pulls Octavia’s hands in her lap.

Addressing the tension between them Raven asks, “So what was earlier about?”

Octavia smiles, remembering how it felt to be pressed up against Raven’s lips.

“It was a kiss,” she answers.

“But a straight girl doing it for attention kiss or an I-might-be-into-you kiss?” Raven asks. “Because my friends think you’re straight.”

“My friends think I’m straight too,” Octavia confesses.

“Well?”

Octavia looks long and deep into Raven’s big brown eyes. Even if she wanted to, she couldn’t pretend she wasn’t wildly attracted to this girl. She leans in and captures Raven’s lips again, hoping to convey the message to her. When they pull back for air, Octavia whispers, “Does that answer your question?”

Raven nods before leaning back into the kiss and pulling Octavia into her lap.

* * *

 

“I’m really sorry about that,” Lexa says, sitting next to Clarke on the roof outside her bedroom window.

“It’s okay, Lexa,” Clarke smiles sweetly. “I get that kind of thing all the time.”

Lexa sweeps a hand through her hair, “That’s not right.”

“I know but men who think like Bellamy are all too common in my work place. I’m surprised he didn’t slap my ass or something.”

“He would’ve lost a hand,” Lexa comments to no one in particular.

Clarke smiles at her, the glow of the moon omitting a halo around her hair.

“That was very sweet of you, Lexa,” she says, reaching out for her hand. “But you know I can take care of myself, right?”

Lexa nods and winces as Clarke’s fingertips graze the bruised flesh on the hand she struck Bellamy with.

“I know but I felt responsible because he’s my friend, technically, and you’re here because my friends made you come.”

Clarke makes eye contact with Lexa again. _The girl really doesn’t know how beautiful she is._

“Nobody made me come to the party,” Clarke whispers, just within reach of Lexa. “I wanted to come. I think you’re gorgeous.”

With that Lexa closes the space between them and pushes Clarke flat on her back, lips pressing against each other in fervor. Lexa takes advantage of the position and presses a knee against Clarke’s center. The moans that escape Clarke’s body vibrate against Lexa. Clarke’s hands roam Lexa’s body, stopping at the crotch of her pants. She rubs Lexa through them until she feels Lexa’s body start to shake.

Lexa pulls back, “No, it’s my turn to give you something.”

She watches as Clarke’s lustful eyes look into hers and then she takes Lexa’s hand in hers and pushes it down her shorts.

Lexa wastes no time. She rubs over Clarke’s clit until the panting in her ear signals to her that Clarke needs more. Lexa pushes in a couple fingers and loses herself in how the inside of Clarke feels against her hand. Soon enough Clarke’s walls clinch around her fingers and a hearty moan fills Lexa’s ears.

“Thank you for making my birthday so special, Clarke.”


	4. She'll Be the Death of Me (At Least We'll Both be Numb)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven and Octavia enjoy the couch and Lexa reflects on her last birthday present from Clarke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for all the positive responses on this fic, it means so much to me to hear you guys are enjoying reading this as much as I'm enjoying writing it! Always send me your thoughts, they make my day and give me the extra push to update sooner. 
> 
> This chapter is super smutty, enjoy! ;)

Raven slowly opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. For a couple seconds she was unaware of where she was until the body next to her nuzzled in closer.

_Octavia._

Their night of shots, Jungle Juice and beer pong came flooding back to her. She and Octavia had gone 5-0 before the other partygoers decided to ban them from playing. They’d retired to the couch and had spent the rest of the night making out. Eventually the party died off and they’d apparently fallen asleep together.

She looked down at the girl snuggled against her chest. _Dear Gay Gods, she was beautiful._ Raven pushed stands of hair out of Octavia's face. Though her lips were tinted red from last night’s choice of lipstick, most of it was gone. Raven ran the back of her hand against her own mouth and found the missing traces of the girl’s lipstick. That made her smile.

“Good morning,” a raspy voice said.

Octavia looked up at Raven and smiled and dammit if her heart didn’t explode right there.

“Good morning, gorgeous.”

Octavia pushed herself upright on the couch and looked around the house at all the trash from the night before.

“Where do you keep the trash bags?” Raven asked, sitting up.

Octavia smiled and pushed Raven flat on her back.

“You are too sweet,” she whispered hovering over the brunette. “But my roommates can clean this mess up. I have other plans for you.”

Octavia closed the space between them and pressed her lips to Raven’s.

_Kissing Octavia was like coming home._

After the initial shock of Octavia’s lips against hers wore off, Raven kissed her back with enthusiasm. Raven’s tongue and roaming hands elicited small moans from Octavia, but it was the one slow grind of the girl’s body down between Raven’s legs that sent her into a whirlwind.

“Remember that thing you told me last night that you always wanted to try?” Raven asked, pulling back. Octavia looked confused.

Swiftly, Raven flipped Octavia over on the couch.

“You’ve been a good girl for far too long, O.”

Before Octavia had a chance to skim back through her memory of last night, Raven pulled at her shorts and discarded them to the floor.

_Ooooohhh that._

Raven carefully spread Octavia’s legs and went to work, kissing her from knee to inner thigh. When Raven’s tongue met the deepest part of Octavia, she lost her damn mind.

* * *

Lexa, still enveloped in covers, stretched out her body. She expected to find the warm body she’d been cuddling all night but instead was met with cold, empty fabric.

_Clarke._

Memories of the night before came flooding back to her.

\--

After the moment she had shared with Clarke on the roof, they moved to her bed.

“We know what I do for a living but you’re still a mystery to me, Lexa,” Clarke had stated, curling her body into Lexa's.

Lexa mentally noted that she loved the way Clarke fit perfectly against her.

“I’m a song writer, I…” Lexa started to answer. She hadn’t had to explain to anyone her situation in a long time, she didn’t know how to address it.

Clarke noticed the distressed look on Lexa’s face.

“We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” she assured her, rubbing her arm.

Lexa bit her lip and began, there was just something about this girl that made her want to open her entire world to her.

“My ex-girlfriend, Costia, and I were partners. I wrote the songs, she mostly sang them. She was the inspiration for most of them,” Lexa swallowed, trying to keep her emotions in check. “We were just starting to hit it big when she stole the hard copies of my lyrics and took a contract deal without me.”

Clarke pulled back and stared at Lexa, her heart really went out to the girl.

“I’m so sorry, Lexa. She sounds like a bitch,” she said, taking the brunette’s hand.

“She was…she is…I guess she still exists somewhere out there,” said Lexa, focusing her attention on the feeling of Clarke’s hand in hers.

“So, should we go check on my roommate and your friend?” Lexa asked, changing the subject.

Clarke chuckled to herself, “No, Raven will keep her busy. Trust me.”

When their laughter subsided, Lexa’s green eyes met Clarke’s blue in the dark.

“Besides, I still owe you for the roof,” Clarke whispered against Lexa’s lips.

“You don’t owe me anything, Clarke.”

Clarke pressed a kiss to Lexa’s lips.

_This girl was too good to be true._

“Think of it as my last birthday present to you.”

Clarke closed the space between them and pushed Lexa on her back.  Clarke made quick work discarding Lexa’s jeans and smiled to herself when she felt how wet Lexa already was.

“It’s your fault I’m this wet,” Lexa whispered against Clarke’s lips. “You not only gave me a lap dance, which was really fucking hot I might add, but then you went and had an orgasm in my arms.”

“Oh yeah?” Clarke teased, pushing her fingers inside Lexa.  “It’s my fault?”

“Yes!” Lexa moaned, throwing her head back. “Oh my God, yes!”

Clarke held her close as she fucked her, loving the feeling of Lexa’s torso arching off the bed and pressing into her. Clarke sped up her work, knowing Lexa was on the brink, and before she knew what was happening Lexa was biting down on Clarke’s exposed shoulder.

_Fuck that was hot._

\--

Lexa stared at her bedroom ceiling. They’d really shared a moment last night so why was Clarke already gone?

And then it dawned on her that she didn’t even have Clarke’s number.

She pulled on shorts and an oversized t-shirt, hoping Clarke’s friend was still downstairs. As she descended the stairs, she noted that Anya’s bedroom was empty and that there was trash everywhere. She wracked her brain trying to remember Clarke’s friend’s name, this was going to be an awkward exchange if she couldn’t remember.

And then it hit her…

“RAVEN! OH MY GOD, Raven,” Octavia moaned, spreading her legs open further and holding Raven’s head in place.

“Oh FUCK!” Lexa screamed at the sight, missing the last step.


	5. I Only Love It When You Touch Me, Not Feel Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke and Lincoln have a bestie moment. Lexa, Octavia and Anya visit The Ark for a second time, this time with a purpose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Loving the reviews on this! Thank you guys for taking a moment to send me your thoughts, it means a lot.

Pulling her knee-length coat tighter around her body, Clarke searched her pockets for keys.

_Crap. They must’ve fallen out at Lexa’s._

She thought about plausible ways to ask Raven to find them as she turned over every rock in the garden of their entryway, searching for the spare.

_Bingo!_

Clarke slipped the key in the door and hoped to God the deadbolt wasn’t latched. She let out a breath when the door opened with no resistance.

“Mhmmm,” a voice murmured from the kitchen. Clarke froze. “Walk of shame!” Lincoln smirked, sipping a cup of coffee.

Clarke kicked off her heels at the bottom of the stairs and padded over to her roommate.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said quietly, pulling a coffee cup out of the cabinet.

Lincoln chuckled to himself, “Sure you don’t, princess.”

Clarke gave him a look and turned, hoping to get the hell out of the kitchen before…

“NOPE, you better be telling me where the hell you’ve been all night,” Lincoln said, patting the seat of the empty barstool next to him.

Clarke dropped her head back in defeat before joining him.

“Sooo…you and Raven left for that birthday party last night, I got maybe two texts from her and then radio silence. What happened? And why didn’t she come home with you?”

Clarke had thought about waking her up to leave but couldn’t bring herself to detach Raven from Octavia on the couch. They looked too damn peaceful and some people deserve to be happy.

“She and Octavia, the one who asked me to dance at the birthday party, hooked up last night,” Clarke confessed.

Lincoln choked on his mouthful of coffee, “The straight girl?!”

Clarke nodded.

“Well, we all know what the right amount of alcohol can do to a straight girl,” Lincoln teased.

“I don’t know about that. They were pretty attached to each other all night…from what I saw. I’m not too sure this girl is straight.”

Lincoln set his cup down on the counter and leaned his head on his hand.

“Oh, that you saw? What does that mean?”

Clarke took a deep breath and thought back to last night. These were the times she wasn’t friends with her roommates, then she’d never have to explain herself to anyone.

“Lexa’s drunk friend called me a whore and she decked him and then we hung out in her room for the rest of the night.”

Lincoln nodded.

“Hung out? Is that what the cool kids are calling “getting some pussy” these days?”

Clarke whole-heartedly laughed. She took it back, she really loved living with Lincoln and Raven even if they were a little nosy.

“Yeah, we had sex. It was actually…pretty incredible,” she said, losing herself to remembering the feeling of Lexa inside her.

“Oh shit…am I interrupting the U-Haul process?” Lincoln deadpanned. “Is Lexa waiting out there in her Subaru?”

“Shut it, Linc.” Clarke smacked him playfully on the arm. “She’s probably still asleep actually.”

Lincoln’s face fell, feeling the tension that had abruptly entered their bestie moment.

“So why aren’t you still with her?”

Clarke bit her lip and stared deeply into her coffee. She’d woken up this morning happier than she could ever remember waking up and then the panic had set in when she realized Lexa's body was her pillow.

Lincoln put a hand on Clarke’s arm, “Hey, where’d you go? What happened? Did she hurt you?”

Clarke was determined to hold back the tears threatening to spill.

“No no…Lexa’s an angel. I just…we connected so well last night. She really opened up to me and told me some things about her past relationship and I could really be happy with this girl, you know?”

Lincoln nodded, he knew all too well where this was going. He and Raven had spent the better part of last year pulling Clarke off her bedroom floor after ex-douchebag. If Lincoln ever saw his stupid face again, that kid would get his ass beat.

“I woke up happy and that scared me,” Clarke said, wiping a tear with her thumb. “And besides, I shouldn’t date my customers. All I ever am to them is a piece of ass.”

Lincoln took her hand, “That doesn’t sound like the girl you just described. It sounds like she really cares about you, punching out her own friend for a girl she’s only met twice.”  

Clarke supposed that was true. She flashed back to her green eyes and the way they looked at her, so innocent and pure -- not like everyone else that Clarke danced for. She shook the thought from her head, she couldn’t do this.

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore,” she said, standing up.

“Clarke!”

“No one will ever see anything but a stripper. I lost my worth a long time ago,” she said, sprinting up the stairs. And damn if those weren’t almost Finn’s exact words to her when he’d left.

* * *

“She lives!” Clarke shouted on her approach to the bar. Lincoln joined in with a slow clap.

Raven blushed. “Shut up! This isn’t the first time I’ve stayed out all night.”

“No, but it’s the first time you’ve stayed out all night and all day with a girl!” Clarke fired back. “Our little girl is growing up, Linc.” They reached for each other and looked at Raven with adoration.

“I hate you guys.”

“No, you don’t,” Lincoln said, putting an arm around Raven’s neck. “So what happened with the straight girl?”

“Her name is Octavia,” Raven corrected. “And my morning is all the evidence I need to know she’s not straight.”

“Morning?!” Clarke bellowed.

“Mhmm…on the living room couch. God, she’s beautiful and intelligent and well...it was going perfect before Lexa walked in on us.”

_Lexa._

The name stung Clarke more than it probably should have.

“PRINCESS!” The boss shouted from the back. “Let’s go!”

Clarke rolled her eyes and took Raven’s hand, “I’m really happy you’re happy, Ray.”

* * *

Lexa couldn’t get the feeling of déjà vu out of her head as she entered the doors of The Ark.

“I cannot believe you dragged me here again,” Anya complained, following Lexa and Octavia.

“Oh naked girls everywhere, you poor soul,” Octavia teased.

Anya stuck out her tongue at her friend.

“Hush! You just wanted to come to see your girlfriend!” Anya spat back.

Octavia cringed. “She’s not my girlfriend.”

Lexa and Anya looked at each other and smirked.

“My bruised ass and scarred eyes say differently,” Lexa reminded her, referring the awkward encounter the two of them had had this morning.

Even Octavia had to laugh at the memory.

The three of them reached the familiar bar and Raven perked up.

“Ladies, long time no see!” she greeted them.

“Raven, short time and I’ve seen too much,” Lexa laughed.  

“Touché,” Raven said, blushing a new shade of crimson. “What can I get you guys?”

Lexa handed over the keys she’d found in her bedroom to Raven. As she looked around at the topless girls serving drinks and dancing, Lexa realized she had no time to waste.

“Clarke?”

“Well I can’t serve you that but I can point you in her direction,” Raven said, pointing to the far end of the club. “Princess is over there.”

Clarke was currently in some guy’s lap.

“Thank you,” she said, with a new energy in her bones. There was just something about Clarke that made her feel alive.

Lexa instructed Octavia and Anya to stay at the bar. She smiled when she looked back at saw Raven pulling Octavia across the bar to kiss her. As she made her way to Clarke her head raced with a million things she could say to the blonde.

Lexa hung back, waiting for Clarke to finish with her lap dance. It didn’t go unnoticed that the same spark from Lexa’s lap dances were missing from the current one Clarke was giving. When she was finished, she stuffed her tips into her lacy bra and cleared the drinks from the table.

“Imagine running into you here,” she said, stepping into Clarke’s path.

_Smooth, Woods._

Clarke jumped back, taken aback by Lexa’s presence.

“Hey…” Clarke greeted her.  

_Something felt off._

“You rushed off this morning,” Lexa stated solemnly, trying not to let her nervousness out.

Clarke bit her lip, she wasn’t prepared to have this conversation so soon.

_Don’t look in those green eyes, don’t look in those green eyes._

“I just had a lot to get done before work,” she fibbed. “Sorry.”

Clarke sidestepped Lexa and headed to the bar. Lexa followed her and waited until she handed her tray over to Raven.

“Can we talk?” Lexa asked.

Clarke shook her head, “No, I have to get to my customers.”

“Well what if I paid you for a private dance?” Lexa asked desperately.

Clarke looked into Lexa’s eyes, pained.

She let out a harsh breath. “No Lexa, just leave me alone.”

With that the blonde made her getaway, leaving a stunned Lexa standing in the middle of the strip club feeling like an idiot.


	6. You're Always Worth It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lexa's writer's block is back, Raven teaches Octavia about girl-on-girl sex & Raven (as always) has an idea.

_Just leave me alone._

The words reverberated in her brain over and over again.

Looking back Lexa knew she shouldn’t have gone into Clarke’s workspace to talk to her, but she couldn’t help herself. She really thought they had connected the night of her birthday party yet she’d woken up alone and all of her texts to Clarke had gone unanswered. She should’ve given it the normal three day treatment but something about Clarke just drove her crazy.

Maybe Clarke didn’t feel the same way.

* * *

Raven could lose herself in Octavia, she really could.

They laid on Octavia’s bed (new rules from Lexa and Anya) and made out. Octavia was between Raven’s legs and the friction from her body alone pushed Raven to the verge of losing it. She had to be calmer than this, she was Raven Reyes after all.

_Oh God._

But then Octavia’s lips sucked at her pulse and all thoughts of composing herself went out the damn window. Octavia’s hands roamed Raven’s body, looking for the button of her jeans. When she unclasped it, she froze.

“What’s wrong, O?” Raven asked, noting the slight look of terror in Octavia’s eyes. “Are we going too fast? We don’t have to do anything.”

“No, I want to do this I just…” Octavia paused, looking for the right words. She pushed a hand through her hair. “I’ve never done this before. You know, _been_ with a girl. I don’t know what to do.”

Raven smiled sweetly at her, taking her hand and squeezing it.

“That’s okay, every queer girl has to learn at some point,” she reassured her. “But if this is going too fast, we can revisit it another…”

“No,” Octavia interrupted, leaning into Raven. “I want to make you feel how you made me feel the other day on the couch.”

Raven smirked, “Ms. Blake, would you like me to teach you how to have sex with a woman?”

Octavia nodded shyly and pressed a kiss into Raven’s lips before she lost her nerve. When Raven’s tongue met the inside of Octavia’s mouth, the awkwardness from earlier melted away. Raven hooked the girl’s legs behind her and pushed Octavia on her back, pulling her shirt off as she went. She pressed kisses up Octavia’s torso, stopping at her breast to knead her nipple with her mouth. The action gained a hearty moan from Octavia and the involuntary squeezing of her thighs around Raven’s waist.

She opened her eyes and burned the image of Raven attached to her chest into her memory before pushing the other girl onto her back.

In record time, maybe the fastest Raven had ever experienced in all of her lesbianism, she was very naked and very wet. Octavia continued her work, nipping at Raven’s hip bone. She kissed her way down the left side of the girl’s body, stopping at her kneecap. Raven’s skin was still indented from the brace that had been around her leg before being undressed. It was something they didn’t talk about, but Octavia pressed a tender kiss to it anyway. She didn’t know the story behind her injury and she didn’t need to, she just wanted Raven to know she appreciated all of her parts.

_Her heart exploded._

Raven suddenly sat up and pulled Octavia up her body. They kissed while Raven took Octavia’s hand and pressed it between her legs.

Raven pulled her lips back just barely to whisper, “You did this to me” as she dipped the tips of Octavia’s fingers into her wetness. Raven opened herself to Octavia and pushed the other girl’s fingers in deep.

“Think about your body and what would feel good to you,” Raven whispered, falling back onto the bed.

Octavia took a moment to appreciate the feeling of being inside the beautiful girl and then moved her fingers in a circular motion, watching Raven’s face for clues to how she was doing.

“Mhmm,” she moaned. “Faster.”

Octavia sped it up and leaning her forehead into Raven’s shoulder. She thought about all those nights by herself and remembered one thing she really enjoyed. She curled her fingers and searched for…

_Oh my GOD._

She found it.

Raven’s chest heaved as she tightened around Octavia’s fingers in release.

A couple moments later Raven said breathlessly, “You’re a quick learner” as she pulled Octavia into her arms.

Octavia smiled up at her, “I’ve always been a high achiever.”

* * *

She’d been playing the same tune over and over and over for the last three hours but no words were coming to her.

_So much for a break in the writer’s block._

“Fuck!” Lexa huffed, throwing her guitar to the side.

“Hey! No need to take it on an innocent object,” someone said from behind her.

Lexa turned and was surprised to see Raven behind her.

“Sorry, I’m just…” Lexa trailed.

“Frustrated? Upset? Confused?” Raven offered.

Lexa let out a breath, letting some of the anxiety in her chest escape, “All of the above.”

“I’m sorry,” Raven said, taking a seat on an amplifier. “O said you’ve been here all week, throwing things and not writing any music.”

Lexa rubbed her forehead, trying to come up with an explanation that would save her pride.

But she failed, “I guess she really got to me.”

Raven nodded.

“I figured. If it makes you feel better, she’s not doing much better.”

Lexa looked Raven in the eyes for the first time since their conversation had begun.

“Why?”

“I think you got to her too. She’s just too stubborn to admit it.”

Lexa shook her head, “She doesn’t want to see me, Raven. She made that pretty clear.”

Raven took a deep breath and hoped to God she wasn’t ruining her friendship with Clarke.

“Her story is hers to tell but just know that it’s not you. I’ve actually never seen her happier than when she’s around you.”

Lexa stared at the ground of her studio, not knowing what to believe.

Raven bit her lip with indecision before saying, “I don’t think you’re going to like it but I have an idea.”


	7. Can't Feel my Face

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven has a plan, Lexa needs more tequila.

“Explain to me one more time why you’d bring me to a club on our only night off in weeks from another club?” Clarke whined.

Raven smiled, pulling her best friend away from the cab. “Because we deserve a night out where we don’t have to serve anybody. Plus, it’s a gay club so we’re also supporting our community while get severely intoxicated.”

“All I heard you say was alcohol,” Clarke quipped.

Raven handed their IDs over to the butch bouncer and took it all in as they entered the club. Rainbow flags everywhere and greased up muscular boys in tight underwear dancing on the bar.

“Can’t you just feel the equality?!” She exclaimed, throwing her arms out.

Clarke chuckled and zeroed in on the bar.

* * *

“I cannot believe you talked me into this shit,” Anya whined.

“You say that every time we bring you out,” Octavia remarked. “And yet when have you ever not had a good time with us?”

Anya took a beat. “Tonight if it doesn’t work.”

Octavia’s eyes bulged, motioning to a nervous Lexa.

“I’m just kidding, Woods,” Anya said, throwing an arm around her. “This will definitely work.”

Lexa looked like she was planning out an exit strategy in her head.

“This will help!” Octavia offered, holding out three shots of tequila.

Anya held her shot out and offered, “To getting Lexa laid.”

“To not falling out there,” Octavia countered.

“To getting her back,” Lexa said solemnly.

They threw the shots back and Lexa focused on the warmth spreading down her throat and into her stomach.

“Yeah, I’m gonna need a couple more of these.”

* * *

“What’s up, ladies?” a familiar voice asked, joining their table.

“Lincoln?” Clarke asked as her friend sat down. “I thought you had to work the bar tonight?”

Lincoln took a swig of his beer, “I couldn’t let my girls have all the fun.”

He and Raven looked at each other, their eyes conversing silently over Clarke’s head.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome to Polis! Tonight we bring you a special show, just in time to kick off Pride Week in West Hollywood,” a disembodied voice exclaimed.

Damn, it was already that time of the year again. Clarke was definitely out of the gay loop these days.

“Get those singles out,” the voice said. “Because tonight we bring you…amateur strip night!”

The gathering crowd cheered loudly. Clarke looked to Raven and mouthed “Really?”

The room went completely black as the beat started.     

_*Pour it up, pour it up…*_

The lights brighten just enough for two figures to step out from the curtains. The strobe light hit as Octavia, clad in a backwards cap and short skirt, grabbed onto the pole and bounced into a squat. Anya grabbed the first girl she saw and did the same on the stranger’s body.

“Is that?” Clarke asked, looking to Raven. But Raven was no longer paying attention to anyone but Octavia.  

_*Strip clubs and dollar bills…still got my money.*_

Lexa slipped in behind her friends, walking to the front. She wore a leather top that ended at her midriff, showing off her toned abs, and the shortest leather shorts in existence.

Clarke had to physically roll her tongue back into her mouth.

_What the fuck was going on?_

Lexa pulled Octavia’s back into her, both of them rolling their bodies against each other. Then Octavia took a turn on the pole and swerved her hips, making her way to the floor.

“That’s your girl, Rae?” Lincoln asked.

Raven, with the biggest smile on her face, nodded.

“She’s beautiful…” He gushed.

“Maybe in another life, Linc. She’s mine,” Raven said, turning her attention back to Octavia.

Lexa, in what best could be described as awkwardly, rubbed her hands down her body as she hit the floor on her knees.

_Maybe that was too much tequila._

The crowd continued their screaming, indicating they hadn’t noticed too much. Lexa crawled her way across the short distance between her and Clarke, keeping solid eye contact as she went. Octavia situated herself in Raven’s lap, grinding her ass against Raven’s front. Anya did the same in Lincoln’s lap.

When Lexa reached Clarke, she spread the girl's legs and tossed her head back, letting her wavy hair smack Clarke’s thighs. Her hands shook as she caressed the blonde’s sides, making her way up her body.

Clarke smiled, nervously laughing.

It gave Lexa the confidence she needed to straddle her, reenacting their first meeting and bouncing her ass between Clarke’s legs. The friction between them was enough to send Clarke’s hands to her back, cupping Lexa’s ass as she bounced.

Reluctantly, Lexa stood up. Her body was already missing the feel of Clarke’s but the song was almost over and Lexa had just one last move to accomplish. As she made her way back to the pole, she tried to remember every piece of advice Raven had given her.

With a running start, she grabbed onto the pole and pulled herself higher. She clenched her thighs around it and let gravity pull her down but leather was not the safest of fabrics against metal and **BOOM.** She fell flat on her ass.

Lexa laid down against the floor, hoping she could seep into it. Clarke rushed over to her, blonde hair flying behind her.

“Lexa, are you okay?”

With the darkest shade of red on her cheeks, Lexa laughed, “Help, I’ve fallen for you Clarke and I can’t get up.”

With her concern for Lexa dissipated, Clarke let out a full-bellied laugh. When it subsided, she pulled Lexa up by her shoulders.

“What were you trying to do?” Clarke asked.

“I was trying to say I’m sorry for disrespecting your work space the other night,” Lexa started. Now she wished she had had more tequila so she couldn’t feel her ass throbbing.

“You did all this to apologize?” Clarke asked. No one had ever done anything like this for her before.

Lexa smiled, forgetting the literal pain in her butt. Looking into Clarke’s blue eyes had that effect on her.

“No, I also wanted to ask you out on a date,” she replied.

Clarke’s heart swelled and suddenly the scary feeling she’d been holding onto since Finn left was gone.

“You’re out of your mind, Woods,” she whispered, pressing her lips into Lexa’s.

Back at the table, their friends applauded and ordered a round of drinks.

“We did it!” Raven exclaimed, squeezing Octavia closer to her body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys have been so good to me with the comments and kudos, thank you! If you enjoyed this chapter, let me know and maybe I'll get to the next chapter sooner! ;)


	8. Often

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lexa thanks her friends, Clarke thanks Lexa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Loving the comments! You guys really loved Lexa's cheesy ass pickup line, which makes me happy! This chapter is pretty smutty, just so you're warned. As always, send me your thoughts after you read!

“I can’t believe you guys,” Clarke laughed from her seat between Raven and Lexa. “You’re damn good friends to Lexa.”

“I just can’t believe that actually worked,” Anya said, pressing the top of her beer to her lips.

“I always had faith in you, Lex,” Octavia said from her seat on Raven’s lap.

Lexa reached out to touch Anya and Octavia, “Thank you guys for helping me. I owe you.”

“At this point you owe me your first born,” Octavia laughed.

Lexa smiled and took Clarke’s hand in hers.

“How about I just buy you the next round?” she offered.

“Works for me!” Octavia said, downing the rest of her drink.

Lexa signaled another round to the bartender and refocused her attention back to Clarke, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand.

“So Lexa, I hear that when you’re not busting your ass on the stripper pole you write music,” Lincoln interjected.

The table busted out into another round of laughter. Even Lexa, who was still had a sore ass, had to laugh.

“I suppose I won’t leave my day job anytime soon,” she joked. “But yeah, I dabble in songwriting.”

The bartender set down their drinks and handed Lexa the tab.

“I actually already knew the answer to that,” Lincoln confessed. “I was actually a huge fan of you and Costia.”

The name alone made Octavia and Anya sit up straighter. Lexa tried to hide her cringe as she signed the receipt.

“Lincoln!” Clarke chastised.

“What?”

“It’s okay, Clarke,” Lexa said, turning her attention back to Clarke’s friend. “I’m glad to hear you appreciated our stuff but we don’t…write together anymore.”

Lincoln nodded, in the back of his mind he knew Costia was solo now.

“Well…I write music too. If you ever want to get together and play…” he offered.

“I’d love to, Lincoln,” Lexa smiled.

Octavia and Raven, clearly in their own world, were giggling as they took turns tickling each other in between kisses.

“You two are so…” Anya started.

“Anya,” Lexa warned.

“…gay. What? Have a little more faith in me, Woods.”

Octavia broke away from Raven’s lips long enough to flip Anya off.

“Thanks captain obvious,” Raven joined in.

As the three girls started arguing, Clarke leaned into Lexa and whispered, “So that leather outfit you’ve got on…”

“Yeah?”

“It’s hot. I’ve been wet for the last 30 minutes,” she said, breathing heavily in Lexa’s ear.

Lexa’s eyes went wide, “You want to get out of here?”

Clarke bit her lip and nodded.

“Well…my ass and my ego are bruised so I’m calling it a night,” she said to her friends, standing up.

“And the blonde?” Anya asked, cocking her eyebrow.

“And the blonde is going to help her take care of that bruised ass,” Clarke said, not missing a beat.

There were very few people in the world who would fire back at Anya. Apparently Clarke was one of them, making her even hotter to Lexa.

* * *

“Fuck leather,” Clarke exclaimed, throwing the last piece of Lexa’s outfit to the ground.

Lexa smiled against Clarke’s lips as they kissed furiously. Clarke pushed their naked bodies further into the dark living room of Lexa’s place. When the back of Lexa’s knees hit the couch the two of them fell back onto the couch, bodies intertwining further.

“Ouch,” Lexa panted from beneath Clarke.

“Your ass! I’m so sorry!” She apologized, running her hand behind Lexa to massage.

“Mmmm,” the brunette moaned. “You can fall on top of me anytime as long as those hands come too.”

“You like these hands?” Clarke whispered, raking her nails against the sides of Lexa’s thighs.

Lexa answered her with her mouth, her tongue properly answering Clarke’s question. When Clarke hummed against Lexa’s mouth, Lexa lost all control of her body. Her legs spread wide, carrying the weight of the blonde between them.

It was a feeling she could live in for the rest of her life.

Clarke took notice of the slight shaking in Lexa’s body. She took the other girl’s thighs and hitched them around her hips, dropping one leg to the floor and using the other as leverage against Lexa’s center. Clarke started a slow rock, grinding her thigh against Lexa.

Lexa pulled her mouth an inch away from Clarke’s to moan, “Oh fuck.”

And she moaned it over and over and over again.

Clarke’s blonde hair created a veil between them and the rest of the world as Lexa’s breathing grew heavier. Lexa grabbed at Clarke’s legs, pushing her harder against her center.

“This is for that dance, my sexy Lexa,” Clarke whispered, speeding up her movement. “Come for me.”

And with those three words, Lexa’s body exploded and she felt her walls clenching at Clarke’s thigh. Clarke gave her everything she had, cradling Lexa’s head in her forearms as she rocked erratically. Lexa buried her face in Clarke’s bouncing chest and moaned out the loudest orgasm of her life.

Clarke pressed kisses against her neck as Lexa’s body spasm beneath her. Lexa wrapped her arms around Clarke’s body, letting her heart beat against the girl’s flesh as she tried to regain steady breathing.

“I think I’m in love with you, Clarke Griffin,” Lexa whispered. There was a beat of silence between them.

Clarke pulled back from her work on Lexa’s neck, “I think I’ll let you fall in love with me, Lexa Woods.”

It didn’t matter to Lexa that Clarke didn’t say it back, she could feel Clarke’s love in her heart.

Lexa smiled and abruptly pushed Clarke on her back.

“What are you doing? I was thanking you,” Clarke asked.

“And now it’s my turn to thank you,” Lexa explained, spreading Clarke’s legs.

“For what?” she asked in a small voice as Lexa crawled up her body.

“For being you.”

Lexa took the opportunity to show care to the blonde’s nipples. If she could only pick one part of Clarke’s body that deserved to be worshipped, it was her cleavage. They were the most perfect creations Lexa had ever laid eyes on. She sucked and nipped until she felt Clarke’s hips thrusting against hers, in need of friction.

Lexa pulled back and hooked a leg over Clarke’s, letting their centers brush together. The feeling alone of Lexa’s clit against hers made Clarke reach a hand out to Lexa’s hipbone. Her fingernails dug into flesh as Lexa moved against her. Lexa took a thigh in one hand and tilted Clarke’s pelvis to meet hers as their movements started becoming frantic.

The sight of Lexa with an arched back, chest bouncing, and crying out in pleasure would’ve been enough for Clarke. Then add the stimulation and Clarke was gone.  She threw her head back to the edge of the couch and screamed, hands searching for anything to grip.

“Lexaaa,” she moaned, feeling herself on the brink. “Fuck, Lexa.”

Clarke opened her eyes as she hit orgasm.

“HOLY SHIT!” Clarke jumped.

Instead of the darkness she was expecting to see, her eyes were met with an upside-down view of a smug Raven and a shocked Octavia in the doorway.

“And that, Octavia, is scissoring. We’ll get there someday,” Raven said, throwing a hand over her mouth.


	9. I Ain't Scared of the Fall (I've Felt the Ground Before)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lexa, Clarke, Octavia and Raven have a big bowl of awkwardness for breakfast and Lexa takes Clarke on a date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who loves a good interrupted sex scene? You guys do! Thank you for all the feedback on the last chapter, it made me happy that it made it you guys laugh. 
> 
> As always, send in your thoughts after reading -- it makes my day! By day I'm a reporter so everytime I see a comment in my inbox it gives me the strength to leave work after 8+ hours of writing and write another chapter of this fic. :) 
> 
> Enjoy!

A ray of sunlight made its way into Lexa’s room, shining onto her face. She smiled and stretched out in her bed. A warm body laid next to her and when she opened her eyes, her first sight was a halo blonde hair around Clarke's face and her heart swelled.

“Good morning,” Lexa whispered as Clarke snuggled closer.

“Good morning,” she grumbled back.

Clarke was clearly not a morning person.

Lexa scooted down until she was face to face with the blonde. She watched her features soften as her body adjusted to waking up. Clarke opened her blue eyes and smiled when Lexa’s deep green ones met hers.

_This was new. And exciting._

“How can you be so happy? We just woke up.”

Lexa licked her lips in thought, “You’re still here.”

The hope in Lexa’s voice elicited a smile on Clarke's lips. She inched closed to the brunette and kissed her softly.

“I’m still here,” she whispered back.

Lexa looked deep into Clarke’s eyes, weighing a question she kind of wanted an answer to.

“Why’d you sneak out the last time we fell asleep together?” Lexa’s curiosity always beat that voice in her head that said just to enjoy the moment at hand.

Clarke’s eyes flickered past Lexa’s face. She wanted to be truthful with the girl but also didn’t want to scare Lexa with her Finn baggage.

“My ex-boyfriend did a number on me,” she started.

“I get that,” Lexa replied, remembering the moments she’d spent drunkenly sobbing on her bathroom floor after the Costia disaster.

“Not only on my heart but my head too,” Clarke continued. “He made me believe that I’d never be good enough for anyone. I guess…I just didn’t want to be hurt again when you woke up disappointed to a stripper in your bed.”

Lexa reached out a hand to push Clarke’s hair out of her face.

“You’re much more to me than just…some random stripper in my bed. I meant what I said last night, I’m really falling for you Clarke.”

_Clarke’s heart did a small backflip in her chest._

“Speaking of last night…” Clarke laughed.

Lexa’s face dropped, “I’m going to kill Octavia. I was supposed to have the house to myself.”

Clarke continued giggling, remembering the awkward moment of Octavia and Raven trying to make their way up the stairs in the dark after walking in on them.

Clarke’s laughter had quite an effect on Lexa, her anger melted and suddenly she realized her stomach was grumbling.

“Come on, giggles,” Lexa said, sitting up and extending a hand to Clarke. “Let me make you some breakfast.”

Clarke sat up and smiled at Lexa as she sorted through their clothes on her bedroom floor.

“You cook too? Is there anything you can’t do?”

“Well…apparently I’m no good on a stripper pole,” Lexa laughed, tossing Clarke’s shirt to her.

“…Or at locking doors.” Clarke added, dodging the balled-up pants Lexa fired at her head.

* * *

“Well good morning, sleepy heads!” Octavia said gleefully from the kitchen.

Clarke replied “good morning” and joined Raven at the kitchen table. Lexa silently pulled ingredients from the refrigerator to make breakfast.

“Sup?” Raven smirked, barely making eye contact with Clarke before breaking into laughter.

“Oh shut up, Rae.”

Octavia elbowed Lexa in the ribs as she joined her at the stove.

“What did I do to you?”

Lexa’s mouth dropped open in disbelief her roommate’s selective memory loss.

“You _know_ what you did.”

“What were we supposed to do?” Octavia asked. “Lincoln picked up some girl at the bar and said we shouldn’t go to Raven’s place if we wanted to catch any sleep. I didn’t know I’d be walking in on you and Clarke rubbing…”

“Pussies,” Raven finished for her.

“Yeah, that. Also, what happened to “no sex on the couch, Octavia…this is where we enjoy life, Octavia?” Does that only apply to me?”

“Well….I was enjoying life until you interrupted us!” Lexa fired back in between giggles.

“I mean, what about the kitchen table Lexa? Did you rub anything on that?” Octavia laughed, earning a smack from Lexa.

“You know what, consider last night payback for me walking on Raven eating you out on our couch,” Lexa said, handing a plated omelet to Clarke.

“Ohhh…she’s got you there,” Raven interjected, taking her breakfast burrito from Octavia.

When they were all busy silently stuffing their faces, Raven got up in search of cheese for her breakfast.

“Dang, the package is new,” Raven said from the refrigerator. “Hey Lexa, you got some scissors?” She asked with the biggest smile on her face.

Lexa went beet red as the kitchen erupted in another round of laughter.

* * *

“Octavia and Raven are good together,” Clarke said, taking in her surroundings.

Lexa had kept her promise from the night before, taking her on a proper date to a fancy restaurant that Clarke had never set foot in before. One of those places where the prices weren’t listed on the menu, which was helpful because knowing probably would’ve given Clarke a heart attack anyway.

“Yeah, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Octavia this happy with someone,” Lexa reflected, taking a sip of her wine. “I just wish I hadn’t seen…so much of the two of them…together.”

Clarke smiled, finishing her glass. “I bet they wish the same thing.”

“Touché.” Lexa poured Clarke another glass from their bottle.

“So song writer, huh? Has that always been your dream, Lexa?”

Lexa took a moment to thoughtfully compose her reply. “Yeah, even before I met _her_ in college, I was writing music. Granted, it wasn’t very good music but I always had these words inside my head that were begging to be sung, you know?”

Clarke nodded, taking Lexa’s hand on top of their table.

“What about you, Clarke? Is stripping the dream?” Lexa asked.

Clarke chuckled, “Absolutely not. My dream was always dance. Those same words in your head are beats in my soul that want to be released. Stripping…it just pays the bills. Plus I get to work with my two best friends every day. But it’s not the forever job.”

“What’s the forever job?” Lexa asked, rubbing circles on the back of Clarke’s hand.

“Well…when I’ve really sat down and asked my heart that, the answer has always been to open a dance studio and share my love of dance with kids.”

“So what’s holding you back?”

“Uhh…money.”

“I could lend you some money,” Lexa offered.

Clarke choked slightly on her wine, “No, Lexa. That’s sweet and all but you barely know me.”

“I have some money, Clarke. Selling songs to big artists pays well.”

“Why?”

“Because legally I get paid per time the song gets air time and then there’s a flat fee…”

“No,” Clarke stopped her. “I meant why would you want to give me money?”

“Oh. Because I believe in you.”

_Clarke’s heart did another backflip._

“You know barely know me, Lexa.”

“That doesn’t matter to me. It’s an investment in your future. I’ve seen you dance, Clarke. There’s a light in your eyes when you’re dancing and that’s rare. It’s worth all my money to see that light every day.”

Clarke pressed a kiss to Lexa hand.

“You are a beautiful soul, Lexa Woods. But no to the money, it’s not right.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah,” Clarke smiled sweetly at her. “But…maybe I can ask my dad to loan me the money. You really inspired me to work on my dream with your belief in me.”

Lexa smiled, “I’m excited for you, Clarke.”

Clarke was excited too. She hadn’t thought about her dreams in a long time. What was it about Lexa that kept bringing so much change to her life?

* * *

Clarke shuttered a little from the brisk air as she and Lexa strolled the park, still a bit tipsy from the wine at dinner.

Lexa pulled her jacket off and placed it around Clarke’s shoulders.

“Thank you, Lexa,” Clarke said, pressing a kiss to her lips.

They strolled in silence again, hand in hand in the nearly empty park. Lexa was almost never quiet, Clarke wondered if she’d offended her by not taking the money.

“Lex, I’m sorry.”

Lexa looked at her confused, “For what?”

“Are you mad that I didn’t take your offer? It was very sweet and I trust you and everything, I just don’t like depending on others…” Clarke had word-vomit. It happened very rarely, setting in usually when she was anxious about losing something.

_It dawned on her that she was anxious about losing Lexa._

“No, no. I’m not quiet because I’m mad at you or anything,” Lexa explained, taking Clarke’s hands in her. “I’m just nervous…”

“Nervous? Lexa, we’ve had sex twice and I’ve given you two lap dances plus I’ve seen you fall on your ass and you’ve smelled my horrific morning breath...there’s nothing to be nervous about.”

“Willyoubemygirlfriend?” Lexa blurted out.

Clarke blinked rapidly at the brunette who was currently searching her face for signs.

“What?”

Lexa took a deep breath and started again.

“Clarke, I know we haven’t known each other very long but the truth is I’ve enjoyed almost every second of our time together. Your eyes make my heart race and your morning breath is truly horrific, but to me…it’s welcoming because it means you spent the whole night with me. There’s nothing I want more than to spend my days with you, have more nights like this one and wake up to your beautiful face. So will you be my girlfriend?”

Clarke ran a hand through her hair before jumping into Lexa’s arms. Lexa caught her and held her tight as they kissed.

Clarke pulled back breathlessly, “Yes, Lexa.”

_For the first time in a long time, Clarke felt hope in her heart._


	10. Learn to Love What Burns (and Gather Courage to Return)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Octavia learns the lesbian alphabet, Clarke and Lexa visit Jake.

“Oh dear God, yes,” Octavia panted.

She was currently very naked and pressed against her mattress by an equally naked Raven.

“Girls have called me a lot of things in my life Octavia, but God isn’t one of them,” Raven teased.

Octavia tried to follow Raven’s joke but could only focus on the feeling of the girl’s two fingers inside her.

“Raven,” she moaned. “Deeper.”

Raven, never one to disappoint, pushed herself in deeper and smiled as she watched the tension in Octavia’s face melt away.

“Rae,” she whispered prayer-like, raking her nails across Raven’s back.

There was nothing better than the pressure of Octavia’s walls squeezing her to let her know she’d done a good job and then the added combination of fingernails digging into her flesh, Raven was impossibly wet. 

Octavia’s limbs collapsed on all sides of Raven, leaving them connected only by Raven’s arm around Octavia’s middle. She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, in an effort to slow her erratic heartbeat.

“Did I kill you?” Raven asked.

Without even opening her eyes, Octavia knew there was a smirk across Raven’s face.

“Better luck next time, babe,” Octavia said, pressing a kiss to her lips and giving her a slap to the ass.

Raven was shocked. From the lack of credit for Octavia’s orgasm or the fact that she’d called her babe for the first time, she didn’t know.

Octavia, taking advantage of the moment, flipped Raven into the mattress.

“My turn.”

She started with kisses down Raven’s neck, quickly visiting her chest and making her way down. It was somewhere she’d never been before and if she was being honest with herself, she was a tiny bit scared.

Raven, sensing that, cupped Octavia’s face, “You don’t have to, Oc.”

From her angle, she noticed the golden hues in Raven’s eyes for the first time.  

“I want to.”

Raven had never been so turned on in her life. She spread her legs for the girl and focused on the bedroom ceiling as Octavia pressed kisses to her inner thigh like Raven had taught her. When Octavia dipped her tongue between her folds, Raven resisted an intense urge to grab the back of the girl’s head and push her further. Instead she buried her fingers in the sheets and gripped them for dear life.

Octavia pulled back, “What am I supposed to do with my tongue, exactly?”

Raven wanted to be angry that Octavia had stopped but when she looked between her legs, her heart went out to the confused girl.

“I mean, whatever you want to do. Some people draw the alphabet with their tongue…” she suggested.

“Doesn’t that feel weird?”

“You tell me, you were almost to ‘Q’ when Lexa fell down the stairs,” Raven smirked.

Without warning, Octavia dove back in and caught Raven off guard. She couldn’t help herself and let out a breathy moan.

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

It was really all Raven could do not to clamp her thighs down on Octavia’s head. When they got to “M” Raven broke and buried a hand in Octavia’s hair and held the girl in place as her body began bucking against her tongue. Subsequently, Raven’s grip pulled at Octavia’s hair and that only made the girl speed it up. Octavia held a squirming Raven down by her hips and gave her everything she could muster.

“O…” Raven whimpered, back arching off the sheets as she felt the orgasm run through her body.

Octavia high-fived herself internally and continued, the sounds of a panting Raven were quickly becoming the soundtrack to her life.

If Raven wasn’t so loud, the two girls might’ve noticed a stunned figure watching them from the doorway before the door was closed again.

* * *

“Turn here,” Clarke instructed from the passenger’s seat.

Lexa had been silent for the last thirty minutes of their drive. It was about the time she’d realized where Clarke’s dad lived.

_Newport Beach._

“You grew up here?!” Lexa finally asked.

“Mhm.”

Clarke looked down at her legs, it wasn’t something she told a lot of people. Out of all her friends in LA, only Raven really knew that she’d come from money.

Lexa pulled into the expansive driveway and cut the engine, looking over to her girlfriend for the first time since she’d hit the limits of Newport.

“Babe, I’m sorry if I upset you,” Lexa said, cupping Clarke’s chin and meeting her eyes. “I just…”

“Didn’t think a stripper could be from a place like this?” Clarke finished, pulling her face out of Lexa’s hand.

Lexa groaned lightly and bit her bottom lip, there was no pulling that foot out of her mouth.

“Clarke…”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” she said, sliding out of the car and slamming the door behind her.

Lexa followed the blonde to the entry way of the mansion, catching her hand and pulling it to her lips for a quick kiss. Lexa didn’t know what the story was, but in that moment Clarke looked like she needed some encouragement.

Clarke gave her a small smile before she pressed the doorbell.

The door flew open and revealed a tall man who had Clarke’s eyes.

“Baby!” he exclaimed, throwing his arms open.

“Dad,” she said back, meeting him halfway for a hug.

When Clarke pulled back, she took Lexa’s hand and looked to her dad.

“Dad this is Lexa, my girlfriend.”

His eyes looked past Lexa to his neighbor’s houses and shushed Clarke.

“Get inside,” he said, demeanor changing.

When the door was closed, he held out a hand to the brunette.

“Hello Lexa, Clarke’s _friend,_ nice to meet you.” With that he turned on his heel, leaving a shocked Lexa to stare at Clarke.

* * *

“I just don’t understand what more the gays want…we gave them marriage can’t they just be happy with that?” Jake said to no one in particular during dinner.

Clarke gave Lexa a look.

_And that’s why I left without a cent to my name._

“No dad, that’s not enough. We’d also like to feel safe in our workplaces and when we're out to dinner with our partners,” Clarke fired back, trying hard to keep her cool.

“How’s Finn?” he asked, taking a swig of his beer.

Clarke rolled her eyes and placed a hand on Lexa’s thigh under the table.

“Dad, Finn left me a while ago. You know this.”

Jake chuckled, “Well he always was a son of a bitch but he had spunk, I liked him.”

“Well he emotionally abused me so…wasn’t going to work.” Clarke was in a losing battle with her tone.

Jake took another swig before asking, “Why are you here, Clarke?”

Clarke looked across the table to her father. Their relationship hadn’t always been like this. When she was a kid, they’d spent hours out on his boat and he’d taught her how to drive it and how to fish. Sometimes, she wished for those days back. And then she came out as bisexual after high school and her Republican father lost his shit.  

“It just takes time, baby,” Abby, Clarke’s mom, used to tell her. “He’ll come around.”

But he never did and then her mom died in a car accident. Soon, she realized there was nothing left for in her Newport and decided to move to LA.

“I want to open a dance studio, dad and I need some financial backing,” she blurted out.

Jake scoffed, “So, of course, you come to the bank of good old dad. Don’t you have any money saved up, Clarke? Did I teach you nothing about being financially responsible?”

It was Lexa’s turn to scoff.

“How in the world could she possibly be saving any money?” she exclaimed. “They don’t pay…”

Clarke put a hand on Lexa’s arm.

_He doesn’t know._

“Your daughter is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever seen and she struggles from paycheck to paycheck, Mr. Griffin,” Lexa rephrased. “And it kills me that she works herself to death to pay the bills and yet, you sit in this mansion high and mighty and won’t lift a finger to help your own flesh and blood achieve her dreams.”

For the first time in his life, Jake had nothing to say.

“I’m sorry,” Lexa whispered, pushing her chair out.

Clarke smiled, “It’s okay, babe. Go get some air and give us have a moment alone?”

“You sure?”

Clarke nodded and pressed a kiss to Lexa’s lips.

When the glass door shut behind Lexa and Clarke could see her making her way down to the beach, she turned back to her dad.

“Dad, I’m a stripper.”

Again, speechless.

“It’s not a fun job but it pays the bills,” she started. “I’ve never asked you for one thing since I left. I didn’t ask you to support me. I didn’t ask to go to college. I didn’t even ask you to love me despite the fact that I’m gay. But I’m asking you to help me open this dance studio so I can share my passion with other little girls who maybe need an outlet to avoid fathers who hate them.”

Jake ran his hand across his mouth.

“You think I hate you?” he asked, his voice breaking.

Clarke nodded, “I’m a disappointment, remember?”

“I never said that!” Jake exclaimed.

“You didn’t have to, I felt it. It’s why I left.” And dammit if tears didn’t start pooling in her blue eyes.

Jake reached across the table and took his daughter’s hands in his.

“I’m sorry, baby. I love you more than anything. I just thought you needed space after your mom died.”

Clarke stared back, letting the tears run freely down her cheeks.

“I needed away from you. Don’t you understand how the hateful words you say hurt me?”

Jake thought back to every single thing he’d said in front of Clarke about the gay community. She was right, he was a dick.

“I’ve been an asshole, Clarke. I’m so sorry,” he said, moving around to her side of the table. “Can I have another chance to be your dad? I'll do better this time, I promise.”

Clarke looked up at him. She had wanted this moment more than anything her whole life.

“Yeah, daddy.” She hadn’t called him that since she was 12.

Father and daughter embraced, hugging each other so tight Clarke could feel Jake’s heartbeat against her chest.

“Let me help make your dreams come true, Clarke.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What'd you guys think? Who's the mystery person lurking in Octavia's doorway? 
> 
> Leave me your thoughts in a comment! I always love hearing them. :)


	11. This Ain't the Right Time for You to Fall in Love with Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke celebrates, Octavia loses it.

“Mmmm,” Clarke moaned, pressing Lexa against her car.

Lexa smiled as Clarke’s lips dominated hers.

_Come on, Woods. This is not part of the mission._

“Come on, babe. Let’s take this inside,” Lexa said pulling back from the blonde and damning the mission to hell.

“That sounds like a good idea.”

_Fuck, Clarke had used her husky voice. She knew Lexa couldn’t resist it._

Lexa bit down hard on her bottom lip and pulled Clarke toward her front door, fumbling with her keys as they made their way down the dark path.

“God, I just can’t get over my boss…well ex-boss’s face,” Clarke gushed from behind her.

“It was a great speech you gave, Clarke.”

_Lexa really needed to color-code her keys for moments like this._

“Telling him to shove that job up his ass was literally one of the best moments of my life, Lex.” Clarke’s hands roamed Lexa’s body, her excitement bubbling up.

“Sorry, my fingers just can’t seem to find the slot in the dark,” Lexa mumbled.

Clarke grinned, it was just too easy. She slipped her hands down to Lexa’s crotch, “You know what those fingers never have a problem finding?”

The key slipped in and locked clicked open.

“…my pus….”

“SURPRISE!”

Clarke jumped back as the living room light shined in her eyes, revealing all her friends in Lexa’s house.

“What the?!”

“Congrats on becoming an ex-stripper!” Anya bellowed, smirking at the obviously sexually frustrated Lexa.

Raven giggled and pulled Clarke into the house, handing her a colorful shot.

“We’re celebrating you quitting The Ark,” Raven explained, clinking her shot against Clarke’s. They threw the shots back and Clarke grimaced as the warm liquid made its way down to her belly.

“Let’s party, bitches!” Octavia shouted, turning the music back on.

Clarke took it all in, she was surrounded by friends and so many new faces. She turned around and looked pointedly at Lexa, “You?”

Lexa nodded, pulling Clarke into her body and locking her hands behind her waist.

“I’m really proud of you.”

Clarke wrapped her arms around Lexa’s neck and pressed her forehead against the brunette’s.

“I love you, Lexa,” she let the words spill out of her mouth.

Lexa took a deep breath. Clarke had finally said it back.

“I love you too.”

* * *

“And then I said ‘Pike, you can shove this chauvinistic job up your ass and I hope you enjoy it,’’ Clarke recounted to Raven.

“Fuck yeah!” Raven exclaimed, spilling some of her drink in her enthusiastic jumping. “I’m so fucking proud of you, Griff.”

“It felt so good, Rae. I wish you could’ve quit too.”

Raven shrugged, “You get this studio up and running, hire me as your assistant and I can.”

Clarke chuckled, taking a sip of her drink. “Deal.”

She scanned the party, searching for Lexa. She smiled to herself as she watched Lexa pouring another round of shots.

“I like the way you work it…” Octavia sung, smacking her body into Lexa’s hip.

The action caused some of the tequila to spill over Lexa’s hand and onto the counter.

Clarke audibly swallowed as Lexa brought her hand to her mouth, smiling at a drunk Octavia as she licked the liquid off her finger. Clarke zeroed in on Lexa’s tongue swiping across her skin.

“No diggity!” Lexa sang back, swinging her hips. Octavia turned and pressed her ass up against Lexa’s front. The party erupted in cheers from their friends.

“I’ve got to bag it up!” Anya joined in, pushing herself against Octavia.

“Hey yo, hey yo, hey yo, hey yoo…” they sang in unison, erupting in laughter.

“Earth to Clarke!” Raven said, snapping in front of Clarke’s face.

“What?! Sorry,” she apologized. There was just something about Lexa tonight that made Clarke want to jump her bones, their friends be damned. “I just…”

“Was staring at _my_ hot ass girlfriend?” Raven interjected.

“Nope, staring at _my_ hot ass girlfriend. Wait, are you and Octavia together now?”

Raven crinkled her nose. “In my dreams we are," she sighed. "Honestly, I don’t know what we are.”

Clarke gave her a small smile before the trio caught her eye again. Octavia was setting up a shot in Lexa’s cleavage. Octavia bent down until she was face-level with the shot and subsequently, Lexa's boobs.

_HELL NO._

“Look, you seem like a nice person,” Clarke started, walking up to them. “But if those lips go anywhere near my girlfriend’s chest, I’m going to have to deck you.”

Octavia looked up at the blonde and smiled, “Touché, Clarkey!”

Octavia turned around, grabbed another shot and shoved it down Raven’s top. Clarke grabbed two lime wedges and pushed them in the mouths of Raven and Lexa. The two girls looked at each and grinned as Clarke and Octavia bent forward.

One…two…go!

Clarke wrapped her lips around the small glass and brought her head back, letting the liquid pour down the back of her throat. Then she moved her mouth to the lime in Lexa’s mouth, letting her lips lightly graze her girlfriend’s.

“Mmm,” Lexa moaned, just loud enough for Clarke to hear.

“Let’s get out of here,” Clarke whispered into Lexa’s ear. Lexa responded by pulling Clarke through the crowd and up the stairs.

Octavia finished her shot with a peck to Raven’s lips, before clearing the shot glasses to the sink. Once alone in the kitchen, she searched the stash of liquor bottles, looking for anything that wasn’t going to give her hangover in the morning.

“Now that you’ve successfully got everyone’s attention, are you going to give up playing lesbian?” A voice asked from behind her.

Bellamy.

“What are you talking about, Bell? I’m not playing anything,” Octavia replied, aggravated.

“I always knew you hanging around those dykes was a bad idea.”

Octavia scoffed, “Bellamy, you’re only invited to this party because you said you would leave Lexa alone.”

“I don’t a give a shit about Lexa. I’m worried about you! I know we didn’t have a dad but did I really not give you enough attention when we were growing up?”

Octavia took a step back. “What’s your problem?”

“I saw you the other day when I stopped by to visit, Octavia. You had your face between that girl’s legs and ugh, I don’t even want to think about it.”

“YOU OPENED MY DOOR?” Octavia’s eyes bulged.

“If mom could see what I saw, she’d be so disappointed in you. She’d probably roll over in her grave!”

_*Slap*_

“Get the fuck out, BELLAMY!”

The party outside the kitchen halted, Anya and Raven scrambling in to check on Octavia.

“Are you okay?” she asked, reaching out to touch Octavia’s arm.

“DON’T TOUCH ME!” Octavia screamed, pushing Raven back.

Lexa and Clarke pushed through the crowd, clothes disheveled.

“Octavia…what happened?” Raven tried again, stepping closer.

Octavia looked at the crowd around her, all the prying eyes zoned into her drama.

“I’m not a dyke, Raven! It meant NOTHING, now get away from me!” she screamed, pushing her way through the party-goers.

And with that Octavia escaped out the back door, leaving Raven to stand in the middle of the kitchen. Clarke shooed everyone back into the living room before pulling Raven into her arms.

Anya and Lexa looked at each other. Bellamy made towards the back door but was stopped by Lexa and Anya standing side to side.

“I don’t know what the fuck you did but this reeks of you, Blake,” Lexa snarled. “If I find out that you had something to do with this, I will kick your ass.”

Anya put a hand out, pushing him back by the chest.

“And I will help her,” she interjected. “Now get the fuck out!”

* * *

Octavia stumbled around the forest behind her house, hoping she’d get lost so she wouldn’t have to go back.

“Octavia?” a voice asked from behind her.

“What do you want?” she sighed, too emotionally drained to walk anymore.

“You okay?” Lincoln asked, revealing himself from the shadows.

“How long have you been following me?”

“Awhile,” he confessed. “Everyone else was dealing with things back at the house. Thought I’d come check on you.”

Octavia plopped down in the dirt.

“You should be with Raven.”

He took a seat next to her, “Clarke’s got her. I was worried about you.”

Octavia shook her head and then realized that wasn’t the greatest idea she’d ever had.

“Nobody cares about me.”

Lincoln took a deep breath. “I’m sure that’s not true, Octavia.”

“It is. I don’t belong with the lesbians and I don’t belong with the straight people. I’m just fucked up and I have been my whole life. Everyone always leaves me," Octavia confessed, feeling tears pool in her eyes. "I’ll end up hurting Raven in the long run, it's better she learn now."

Lincoln took Octavia’s hand in his and held it to his chest. His heart really went out to this girl.

“I don’t know what your life has been like up until this point, Octavia. But only you have the power to make it better. You can’t just push people away because you’re afraid you’ll hurt them…”

_*SNAP*_

Lincoln and Octavia twisted their heads to what sounded like a snapped twig.

The moonlight bounced off Raven’s hair. She stared at them for a moment before closing her eyes and turning away, a sob escaping her body as she ran.

Clarke stood a couple paces away, looking pointedly at Lincoln’s hands around Octavia’s.

“She wanted to make sure you were okay, Octavia, but I guess you’re just fine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh. 
> 
> Please don't kill me for that chapter! I just had to. So there you go, it was Bellamy who walked in on Octaven last chapter. Who's hoping Lexa and Anya kick his ass? I sure do. 
> 
> Leave me your thoughts in a comment, they always makes me happy!


	12. I've Gone Too Far and I Might Not Make It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lexa keeps Lincoln out of Raven's line of fury, Clarke gets a surprise.

Lexa stretched her arms out, the morning light kissing her face. Her hands smacked into something wooden.

_A headboard. That’s strange, she didn’t have a headboard on her bed._

She opened her eyes suddenly, taking in her surroundings. The enormous canvased ballet silhouettes were her first clue that she was in Clarke’s room. She smiled at the blonde sleeping soundly in her arms. Lexa took her free hand and pushed Clarke’s golden locks out of her face.

_She hadn’t been this happy in a long time, if ever._

Lexa pressed a small kiss to the girl’s lips, her heart singing as Clarke’s lips responded.

“Good morning,” Clarke whispered, blue eyes meeting green in the morning light.

“Good morning,” Lexa replied, holding Clarke’s face between her palms.

“Morning,” a hoarse voice interjected.

Lexa jumped up, startled. Her heart calming when she saw an exhausted looking Raven Reyes behind her girlfriend.

It had been two weeks since Clarke’s party at Lexa’s house. Two weeks since they celebrated Clarke quitting the strip club to pursue her dance dreams. Two weeks since Octavia had spoken to anyone. Two weeks of Raven sleeping in Clarke’s freaking bed. Lexa couldn’t really blame her, she’d slept in Anya’s bed for a month after Costia had left.

“Good morning, Reyes,” Lexa offered, snuggling back into Clarke.

Clarke gave Lexa a small, appreciative smile before returning to their previous kiss.

“Just remember that your best friend is in this bed tending to her broken heart,” Raven said, her voice smaller than it had ever been in her life.

Clarke mouthed an “I’m sorry” to Lexa before turning over to wrap Raven in her arms. Lexa joined in, spooning Clarke. They let Raven silently sob for a moment and they held onto her tighter, trying to absorb some of her pain. This is how they’d fallen asleep last night.

“It won’t hurt like this forever, Raven. It’ll get better,” Lexa whispered, her fingers grasping the brunette’s forearm.

“When?” she asked, wiping her tears with the sheet.

“Someday soon, babe,” Clarke assured her.

_*Knock, Knock*_

“Yeah?” Clarke asked, pulling the covers over Lexa’s underwear-clad ass.

Lincoln appeared, holding out Raven’s phone.

“It’s the boss, he wants to know if he’s going to have a bartender tonight.”

Raven grunted, pulling the covers over her head.

“She’ll be there,” Clarke answered.

Raven let out an exasperated moan.

“Rae, you’ve got to get back to work,” Clarke started. “Lincoln can only cover so many of your shifts before Pike starts asking questions.”

The silence from under the sheets told Clarke that Raven understood.

“Thanks, Linc,” Clarke said, giving her roommate a small smile.

Lincoln nodded, putting the phone back to his ear and moving to close the door.

“Lincoln?” a tiny, sad version of Raven’s voice asked from beneath her cocoon.

“Yeah?”

She lifted the coverings and looked him dead in the eye, “I want you to move out.”

* * *

_“They think it's a shame_   
_That the world will never know our names,_   
_But I think that's okay,_   
_'Cause love gets ruined by money and power and fame,_   
_And we're just two poor kids from a really rich city._   
_We've got a love story unlike the rest.”_

  
“Wait, what if you add “my oh my, what a pity” right here?” Lincoln asked, pausing the session.  
Lexa internally sang the line back in her head. “I like it, Linc.”

  
_“And we're just two poor kids from a really rich city._   
_My oh my, what a pity._   
_'Cause we've got a love story unlike the rest,_   
_No fancy suit and no fancy dress…”_

  
Lexa nodded to her writing partner, cue him to sing the last bars with her.

  
_“Just us, just us, just love, just love,_   
_Just us, just us, just love, just love.”_

Lexa’s heart raced as they finished and that’s how she knew it was going to be a hit.

“Thanks for coming with me. You’re really good at this,” she complimented.

Lincoln shook his head, “No, you’re the real musical genius but thank you. And thank you for having me, I know Clarke made you but I still appreciate it.”

Lexa bit her bottom lip, it wasn’t a lie. After Raven had told Lincoln to move out she’d thrown every single pillow that Clarke owned at the bedroom door and dear God, the blonde owned a lot of pillows. Clarke had given Lexa lots of kisses and suggested thank you sex in lieu of taking Lincoln out of the house for a while until she could calm Raven down.

“You’re welcome in my studio anytime you’d like to come,” Lexa offered, putting her guitar back in its case.

“How’s she doing?” Lincoln asked, knowing he probably shouldn’t.

Lexa looked up from floor, “Octavia? I don’t know, I guess she’s doing okay. She’s not talking to anybody, which worries me. I just wish I knew what happened to upset her, it was probably her douchebag of a brother but I can’t prove that.”

Lincoln nodded, thinking about his time with the girl in the woods.

“Maybe she’d talk to me,” he suggested.

Lexa shook her head, “I don’t think that’s a good idea. You’re in enough trouble with Raven right now.”

“I didn’t even do anything!” Lincoln said, raising his voice.

“Whoa! I know that, everyone just needs some time to calm down and things will fix themselves, I truly believe that. Until then, you can hang out here and stay out of the line of fire."

Lincoln smiled and placed his guitar against the studio wall, “You’re a really good person, Lexa. I’m really happy Clarke found you.”

Lexa shook her head, curls dancing against her back, “Clarke is clearly the better person and I’m so grateful she found me.”

Lincoln erupted in a “D’awww!”

Lexa playfully smacked him in the arm, turning a new shade of red.

“You’re so grateful that you wrote her a song?” Lincoln asked.

Lexa turned to him, nervous. “You figured that one out, did you?”

“You’re very obvious, Lexa,” he explained. “But it’s adorable.”

* * *

“I’m in love with this building!” Clarke exclaimed, sprawling out to hug the wood flooring. “Thanks dad!”

“Anything for my little girl,” he said with a proud smile on his face.

He extended his hand and helped her off the floor.

“There’s so much work to do, but it’s really perfect!” she said, wrapping her arms around her dad’s neck.

“I have one more surprise, baby.”

Clarke smiled. She couldn’t remember a time in her life when things had been so good with her dad.

“Hello, Clarke,” a voice said from the doorway.

_Her heart sank to her knees._

“Finn?!” she said, taking a step back from her dad. “What the fuck is this?”

Jake gave her a stern look, “Finn is your new business partner, Clarke.”

She stood there, speechless.

“Come on, Clarke,” Finn said, walking to her. “This is no way to greet the love of your life.”

Anger bubbled inside her as he pulled her body into his.

_What the fuck._

* * *

Lexa hummed the bars of her new song to herself, taking a moment to smell the bouquet of flowers she’d purchased for her girlfriend. Clarke had texted her thirty minutes ago, happily exclaiming that they’d closed on the building that would soon be her dance studio. Once inside the building, Lexa followed the excited sounds knowing all too well they were coming from Clarke. Lexa was so proud of Clarke for following through on her dreams and biting the bullet to get financial backing from her father.

Lexa stopped in the doorway, watching a man pull Clarke into his arms.

“…the love of your life.”

She’d know that smug face anywhere.

_Clarke's ex._

_Finn._

He was holding Clarke close and she wasn’t pushing him away.

_What the fuck._

She turned on her heel, dropping the flowers to the ground as she left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoop, there it is. Sorry guys, it's going to get bad before it gets better. 
> 
> Also, you guys completely agree with me that Bellamy needs a good ass kicking. Might be some others joining him soon. :) As always send me your thoughts on the chapter! I hold each and every one them close to my heart. 
> 
> Disclaimer: Those lyrics are not mine, but rather from the song 2 Poor Kids by Ruth B. Check her out if you get a chance!


	13. I Don't Wanna Hurt You but You Live for the Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lexa, Anya and Octavia have a moment, Lincoln moves out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a week since I updated, sorry guys! I got super busy at work and then...perhaps met a girl. :) Kinda stole all my time from me this week. I hope to update sooner from now on! Stay with me and as always, send me your thoughts! :)

“Why’d you pick this movie? It’s like the most depressing thing ever,” Octavia asked from beneath her blanket cocoon.

Lexa turned, popcorn spilling out of her mouth, “Because that’s how I feel inside.”

Octavia grunted in understanding and dug her hand into the shared popcorn bowl.

“The Notebook? Really, guys?!” Anya exclaimed from the doorway. “I’m about to call an intervention if you two don’t get your shit together.”

“Shut up,” Lexa said, throwing a fistful of popcorn at her roommate. “You don’t understand our pain. Just go be happy with your flavor of the week!”

Anya laughed, turning off the TV and sitting down on the couch with the two of them.

“Alright, so I see you’re still in the bitter phase and Octavia’s in….”

Octavia glared glass shards into Anya’s face.

“Anger. Yeah, I’m going with anger.”

Octavia sank farther into the couch, pulled the blankets over her head and grumbled, “Fuck off, Anya.”

Anya pushed herself between Octavia and Lexa.

“Listen Blake, I know you’re hurting so I’m going to let that one go,” she said, feeling like an idiot for talking to a blanket-shaped Octavia. “But next time I will smack you.”

Octavia stayed silent, Anya wasn’t sure if that was compliance or if the girl had fallen asleep.

“What do you want?” Lexa asked, moving onto some chocolate she’d stashed between the couch cushions.

“I’m concerned about you two! You haven’t left the house in days, Octavia in weeks. It’s starting to smell like stale human beings in this living room.”

“I’m fine,” Lexa assured.

“Uh huh,” Anya looked pointedly at all the discarded food wrappers around the room. “You are stuffing your face and Octavia is practically mute, this isn’t like you guys.”

Lexa took another bite out of her chocolate bar. “Why should I care about being healthy? It hasn’t worked for me so far. My toned abs did nothing to keep my girlfriend from running back into the arms of her ex. It’s fine, I’m fine….we’re fine.”

Anya rolled her eyes.

“Lex, you don’t even know the whole story of why Finn was there. Why don’t you call Clarke and talk to her about it?”

“Because I don’t want to.”

This was a lost cause. Anya shifted her attention to her youngest roommate, poking at the body under the blanket.

“Spill it, Blake. I’ve given you enough time, what’s your problem?”

Octavia sighed, throwing the blanket back. She was getting tired of living in solitary confinement with only the thoughts in her head to keep her company.

“I just keep going over this in my head: I’m not gay.”

Lexa scoffed, “You seemed pretty gay when I caught Raven in between your legs on this very couch!”

Anya hit her with a throw pillow.

“Sorry,” Lexa apologized.

Octavia started again, “I’m not a lesbian like the two of you are. I don’t know what I am but I felt like a fraud. And then when Bellamy said that our mom would be rolling in her grave if she saw the way I was acting, I just lost it.”

For the first time in weeks, tears pool in her hazel eyes.

“All my life, I just wanted her and Bellamy to be proud of me,” she said, voice breaking.

Anya rubbed a hand across her back and Lexa moved to the other side of her, laying her head on Octavia’s shoulder.

“I didn’t mean to hurt Raven like I did, I know I’m a horrible person for the way I handled things. But maybe…it’s best she learns now that I’m no good.”

Anya moved to take Octavia’s hand in hers.

“Just because you’re not a lesbian doesn’t mean you’re not gay, maybe you’re bi or maybe pan…and that’s okay too,” Anya explained. “And you make me and Lexa proud every day that you get out of bed. There’s not many people on this planet that could stay sane after losing a mom, never having a dad and being cursed with Bellamy as a brother. I think you should take care of yourself right now.”  

Octavia wiped her cheeks with the back of her sleeve.

_Since when was Anya the voice of reason?_

“And what if I lost the only good thing that’s ever happened to me?” Octavia asked.

Lexa answered, “Then it wasn’t meant to be.”

The three sat in silence for a moment.

“If I ever see that piece of shit you have for a brother again, I’m going to knock his teeth out,” Anya said to no one in particular.

The three of them broke out in a fit of laughter.

_Normal Anya was back._

* * *

Clarke paced back and forth, fuming. How dare her father do this! She really should’ve known better than to trust him. Nothing that came from her father ever came without strings attached. But damn, she’d really put all her faith in him this time.

\--

_“I cannot believe you! You hired the one person I hate in this entire world as my business partner? Why, dad?!” She screamed._

_“My money, my rules.”_

_“He abused me, dad! Does that not mean anything to you?”_

_Jake scoffed, “You’re so dramatic, Clarke. He’s a nice young man.”_

_“He’s a prick!” Clarke shouted. “Normal fathers would’ve kicked his ass and you just pay him money to come back and ruin my life?”_

_“I’m not doing this with you, Clarke. Give it time and you guys can mend whatever happened in the past. He knows how to properly handle money and I couldn’t pass up that opportunity for you. Don’t you want this place to flourish?”_

_Clarke shook her head, she was going to throttle someone or something in the next minute._

_“What about Lexa, do you think my girlfriend is really going to appreciate this?” she tried._

_Jake smirked, “If she doesn’t want the best for you Clarke then she’s not the person you should be with. Finn is the best business man I know. End of story.”_

_\--_

She continued her pacing, asking herself what the fuck was she going to do.

“Griffin,” Raven interjected. “You’re pacing a hole into our nice wood floors and I laid those with my own two hands.”

Clarke rolled her eyes, “You’re such a lesbian, Rae.”

Raven stilled Clarke with her hands on either side of the blonde’s shoulders.

“Some people enjoy that about me. Not Octavia, but some people.”

Clarke softened.

“I’m sorry, Rae.”

***Boom***

The two girls looked to the other side of the living room. Lincoln had dropped a box by the doorway.

“Sorry,” he said sheepishly.

Raven turned on her heel and walked out of the room. She hadn’t spoken a word to him since she’d told him to move out.

“It’s okay, Linc,” Clarke offered. “Do you need some help?”

He shook his head, picking the box up and making his way out to his truck.

“Linc,” Clarke called after him. “Have you heard from Lexa?”

Lincoln set his boxes down, he’d been avoiding this conversation like the plague.

“Uh, yeah. I think she’s working at her studio today. What’s up?”

Clarke ran a hand through her messy waves. Everything seemed so weird. She hadn’t heard from Lexa in a week and she couldn’t for the life of her figure out why. She would’ve gone over to the girl’s house but hadn’t had a free moment since all the fighting with her dad and Finn had broken out. Plus, she was afraid to leave Lincoln alone with Raven. 

“She disappeared, I’m just confused.”

Lincoln took a deep breath, “It’s probably because she saw you with Finn,” he spat out with distaste in his mouth from saying the boy’s name.

Clarke’s heart stopped. “What? When?!”

“I’m guessing a week ago…hey, I really got to get this stuff in my truck.”

He really didn’t want to have this conversation with Clarke, he was equally mad that Finn was back and she hadn’t explained anything to him. She wasn’t saying much to him these days since Raven had kicked him out. She picked her side, he guessed.

“Lincoln?” She called after him again, walking out to the driveway. “I’m really sorry this happened this way.”

Lincoln nodded and climbed into the driver’s seat.

“Me too.”


	14. I'm So Wrong (To Let You In My Home)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lexa and Octavia go out, Clarke tries to make amends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So sorry it's been awhile since the last update, things have been a little crazy around here. Hopefully the updates pick up as I've got most of the fic planned out now. 
> 
> As always, enjoy the chapter and leave me a comment with your thoughts! I always enjoy the feedback :)

The red lipstick laid perfectly over Lexa’s lips as she pouted in the mirror. A week of radio silence and Lexa was itching to pick up her phone and call Clarke. So instead of giving in, she was getting ready for a much needed night out. Anyway, it had been Octavia’s idea and how could she turn down her best friend when she was finally starting to come out of her depression?

“Whoa,” Anya said from the doorway to Lexa’s bedroom.

“What?” Lexa asked, looking at the girl’s reflection in her mirror.

“Since when do _you_ wear lipstick?”

Lexa scoffed, “Since forever, An. I just haven’t in a while, you know that.”

Anya thought back to the last time she’d seen Lexa in lipstick, it had been pre-tornado Costia.

“I see you’re going out…” she offered in an effort to change the subject.

“I wish you were coming with us,” Lexa sighed, fanning out her long hair and then deciding to pull it into a messy bun.

“Nah, it’s better this way. I’d just steal all the girls from you and Blake.”

Lexa chuckled, giving herself a last glance in the mirror.  

“I don’t even think we’re looking for girls tonight, just looking to get a couple drinks,” Lexa corrected.

“Yeah? How’s your girlfriend?”

Lexa froze, looking down at a pile on her bed of the things she needed for her night out.

She shrugged, “Your guess is as good as mine.”

Anya nodded.

“Ready, Lex?” Octavia asked from the hallway.

“Yeah, let’s do it,” she answered, pushing past Anya.

Anya watched her roommates head down the stairs, one chipper and the other glum.

_Back to the old days._

She wasn’t sure if that was a good thing.

* * *

“Yessss,” Octavia moaned, throwing her drink back. “I needed this. Our drinking sessions on the kitchen floor were nice but it was starting to get a little depressing.”

Lexa smiled at her, she was happy to see the old Octavia again.

“Is that?” Octavia asked, pointing towards the bar entrance.

“Lincoln!” Lexa shouted, gesturing for him to come over.

She looked back at an apprehensive Octavia.

“What? He needs friends too. You did get him kicked out of his house.”

Octavia’s face fell and she slammed back another swig of her drink. She definitely needed more tequila in her life.

“Hey!” Lincoln greeted, pulling Lexa into a hug. “Where’s she going?”

Lexa turned to see Octavia making her way back to the bar.

“That one majored in avoidance in college, it’s all good.”

Lincoln smiled and took a seat at their tiny table.

“Well all the same, thanks for the invite.”

“Thanks for coming out with us,” Lexa took another swig of her beer. “How’s everything?”

“Ehh…new place is cool I guess it just doesn’t feel much like home.”

Octavia returned, slamming down a beer on the table for Lincoln.

“This is a sorry-I-got-you-kicked-out beer.”

Lincoln laughed, sipping at the rising foam.

“It’s not your fault, Octavia. But I appreciate it.”

O’s eyes flickered to his for the first time. “Well I did royally piss off Raven so technically…”

Lincoln shook his head, “She jumped to conclusions and I really did try to explain myself to her but she didn’t want to hear it. It’s on her but…I can’t really blame her either.”

“Why?”

Lincoln bit down on his lip, contemplating if it was his story to tell.

“Well…I was only there for the tail end of it. When Raven and Clarke were in college, they were coming back from a party and their driver, who was supposed to be sober, was actually drunk. It was Raven’s girlfriend at the time -- Harper. Harper crashed into a telephone pole and Raven’s leg was crushed on impact. From what Clarke told me, Raven spiraled into a depression and lost her scholarship for mechanical engineering. Shortly after that Harper left Raven for Wick, one of Raven’s good friends.”

Octavia gasped, putting her drink down.

“Raven dropped out of school and after Clarke graduated, they started working at the bar and we became roommates.”

“That’s terrible,” Lexa said, grabbing for Octavia’s hand across the table.

“I’m such an asshole,” Octavia said to no one in particular.

“You didn’t know,” Lexa reassured her.

Octavia rubbed the bridge of her nose, even Lexa’s words couldn’t stop the pain she felt for Raven.

* * *

_*Knock, knock*_

Anya sat up and rubbed her eyes. It was way after midnight and she had fallen asleep in the living room.

“Please Lexa, please just talk to me,” a voice pleaded behind the front door.

Anya made her way to the door, the glow of the TV lighting her path.

“Clarke?” she yawned, opening the door.

“Hey, sorry to wake you. Can I see Lexa?”

The blonde looked like she hadn’t slept in days and Anya’s heart kinda went out to her. _Kinda._

“She’s not here,” she explained. “She went out drinking to forget you.”

Clarke’s hopeful face fell and she took a step back.

“Oh.”

“Mhmm. Do you want to leave a message? I _might_ consider giving it to her when she gets back.”

Clarke wrung her hands, willing herself to hold it together.

“I didn’t mean to hurt her…I just…things got so screwed up.”

“You broke her heart, Clarke. You can’t just blame it on things being screwed up when she clearly caught you with your ex.”

Clarke shook her head, tears welling. Is that what Lexa really thought?

“I didn’t do this! My asshole father did. I don’t want to work with Finn but I don’t really have a choice right now. I just really need to see Lexa and explain all of this.”

Anya rubbed her hand across the back of her neck, contemplating Clarke’s words.

“You’re not cheating on Lexa?” Anya deadpanned.

“GOD no! He abused me and I’m stuck right now but I love Lexa, I would never…”

Anya put a hand up in the blonde’s face.

“I get it, your dad is real piece of shit. But Clarke, Lexa’s going to come home drunk any minute now and this isn’t the way to win her back.”

Clarke nodded, knowing she should save what was left of her dignity and walk away.

“But…” Anya interjected. “I might have an idea to solve all this lesbian drama.”


	15. Faces in the Crowd Will Smile Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anya's plan to reunite the girls reveals itself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told you updates would pick up! :) I just really had this chapter stuck in my head and needed to share it.

“What’s so wrong with becoming a recluse?” Raven whined, trying to pull her wrist out of Clarke’s grip.

“You were starting to blend into our couch, Raven. It’s not okay.”

Raven yanked her arm away and froze on the sidewalk, forcing her best friend to stop speed walking for the first time since they’d got out of the car, “Says who? You haven’t been dealing with your problems either, Clarke.”

Clarke took a deep breath, “I’m dealing with them right now and you said you would help me, Rae.”

Raven dropped her shoulders in defeat, “Let’s go get your girl back.”

* * *

“We’re so proud of you, Lexa!” Octavia threw her arms around her roommate’s neck. Anya gave Lexa a wry smile from behind the embrace and added in a pat to Lexa’s back.

“Make us proud, kid.”

Lexa thanked her friends and took the stage, pulling her guitar strap over her head.

It had been unspoken between the three of them but they all knew this was the first time Lexa had publically performed since Costia left the duo. Lexa was trying really hard not to think about the significance of it but now that she was on stage and the curtain guys were taking their places, her heart was starting to beat out of her chest.

“Hey,” Lincoln whispered from the stool beside her. He squeezed her hand, “It’ll be okay.”

Lexa gave him a half-hearted smile and squeezed his hand back.

Maybe she was supposed to meet Clarke so that she could meet Lincoln. If she were being honest, her heart still hurt but maybe the silver lining was Lincoln. He’d been nothing but gracious in the writing process and he pushed just enough to gently break Lexa out of her self-imposed timeout from music.

Lexa took a deep, steadying breath as the curtains pulled back.

* * *

Clarke and Raven pushed past the wall to wall crowd inside the bar.

“Hello! I’m Lexa and this is my friend Lincoln,” a voice said from center stage.

Her voice was enough to send shivers down Clarke’s spine.

“Together we wrote this song for my best friend Octavia, so be kind,” Lexa explained, strumming out a cord.

“ _The fire used to burn, all the words used to hurt. You're not like us, you are different,_ ” Lexa sang, finding Octavia’s hazel eyes in the crowd. _“I couldn't see that that was a compliment.”_

Octavia pressed a hand to her chest.

_“Cause the last thing I want now is to be you._

_And the flames don't feel as hot as they use to.”_

Lexa shifted her gaze to the side, signaling Lincoln to join in.

_“Burn, burn, burn…_

_They used to yell._

_You thought I was coal, my friend, I'm gold._

_Can't you tell?”_

Octavia felt the emotions bubbling in her chest and let the tears free fall down her cheeks.

_“Cause I'm not weak, I'm not broken, I am bold._

_And the fire you put me through turned me into gold.”_

Clarke absorbed Lexa’s lyrics, knowing what they would mean to Octavia. She spotted Anya and reached out to pull Raven over to the table. Raven’s body refused to move.

“Come on, Rae,” Clarke pleaded.

“You didn’t tell me _he’d_ be here,” Raven snarled.

“You can’t hate him forever,” Clarke reached a hand out to the other girl’s shoulder.

“Watch me.”

Clarke sighed and tried again, “Besides that, it’s not about him. It’s about me and Lexa and you and Octavia. It’s time to deal with it, Rae. Please.”

The brunette rolled her eyes and allowed Clarke to drag her over to the table. Anya greeted them with a head nod and Octavia turned, unaware of their guests, wiping at her tear-streaked cheeks with the back of her hand.

“Rae?” Octavia asked.

Raven’s heart momentarily melted, seeing Octavia had been crying.

“Hey,” she replied with a small smile.

The four turned their attention back to the stage,

_“Burn, burn, burn…_

_They used to yell._

_You thought I was coal, my friend, I'm gold._

_Can't you tell?”_

Raven suddenly jumped up and pushed her way out of the bar. Clarke moved to go after her but Octavia beat her to it.

Lexa’s eyes zeroed in on Octavia rushing out the door and then back to Anya. The blonde hair wasn’t missed on Lexa. Her heart flipped seeing Clarke and she wished deeply that it hadn’t. She strummed the last note and the crowd erupted in applause.

Lexa pulled Lincoln in a hug, “Thank you for making me get back up here.”

“Anytime, Lex.”

When they separated, her eyes found blue ones once again. If she was brave enough to get back up on stage after everything, she could face Clarke.

* * *

If she’d known she was going to be chasing Raven down the block, Octavia wouldn’t have worn heels that night.

“Raven, STOP!” She shouted as they reached the street.

Raven turned around with gritted teeth, “I saw the way you were looking at him, O. I’m not going to stick around to see my ex-friend steal a girl from me again.”

“It’s not like that!” Octavia shouted, pulling her heels off.  

Raven took a couple steps back, “It never is!”

“RAVEN!” Octavia screamed, seeing lights in the distance.

There was no time.

Octavia knew Raven wouldn’t make it out of the car’s way in time with her brace on. Her feet slapped against the pavement as she leapt the few steps, pushing Raven back.

Screams and the smell of burnt rubber brought Raven back to consciousness. She rubbed the back of her head and sat up.

She let out a bloodcurdling scream for help and clawed her way to Octavia’s limp body.

* * *

“You did this?” Lexa asked, approaching Anya and Clarke.

Anya nodded, “Don’t say I never gave you anything. Listen to her.”

She walked away, pulling Lincoln to the bar to buy him a celebratory drink.

“Hi.”

“Lexa, you were amazing up there,” Clarke said, holding her hands out to Lexa.

Lexa looked between her hands and her eyes, ultimately deciding to trust Clarke even though she couldn’t think of one reason to.

“Shouldn’t you be with Finn?” Lexa asked brashly.

Clarke bit her lip, “Lexa, I didn’t bring him back…”

“OH MY GOD!” a bar patron screamed from the door.

Clarke could hear a pain-filled scream from Raven outside. Her eyes bulged and she grabbed Lexa’s forearm.

Lexa made it out of the packed doorway first, pulling Clarke behind her. Anya and Lincoln behind them, they sprinted to the growing crowd of people in the middle of the street.

Shoes abandoned on the sidewalk caught Lexa's attention first.

_Not just any shoes, black heels with red bottoms._

_Identical to the ones Lexa was always tripping over in the living room, ones that belonged to…_

“OCTAVIA!” she felt the name tear through her chest. She pushed through the circle of strangers and hit the concrete next to Raven, who held Octavia's head in her lap.

“What happened?!”

Raven looked up, eyes swollen from sobbing.

“She pushed me out of the way of a car and it clipped her…”

Clarke reached the inner circle second, taking the scene in. There was no time to waste, she pulled her cardigan off and wrapped it around Octavia’s leg tightly to slow down the blood.

“Octavia?!” Anya screeched from behind, crawling past Clarke to Lexa who was squeezing Octavia’s unresponsive hand.

Clarke whipped her blonde hair around and screamed, “CALL 911.”  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't kill me! It's going to be okay. I promise! 
> 
> With that said, your reviews are the best and I love hearing from all of you.
> 
> **Lyrics belong to Ruth B.'s song Golden. Check it out! I'm in love with her music.


	16. There's No Love Like Our Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls wait for news on Octavia, Clarke and Lexa have a moment alone finally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promised I'd update soon, so here it is! Thanks for all the patience with this story and all the good feedback you guys always have. It makes it so much better to write for people who are invested in the story :) I appreciate all of you.

The hospital waiting room was cold. Clarke did her best not to shiver as she held a sobbing Raven in her arms.

“She’s going to be okay,” she cooed, running a hand through her best friend’s hair and rocking them back and forth.

“What if she’s not?” Raven finally asked, looking up with a tear-streaked cheeks.

“She will be,” Clarke said sternly. “Just keep the faith, Rae.”

Lexa watched them from across the room. Internally she was wishing she was holding Octavia in her arms.

Green met blue for the second time since the performance and a chill went through her body. She knew they needed to finish the conversation they had started at the bar, but she couldn’t bring herself to think about anything but Octavia right now.

Lexa couldn’t get the image of her best friend’s limp body against the pavement out of her head. Like clockwork, tears welled up in her eyes and she sniffled, pushing the back of her hand across her cheek. She had to stay strong, Lexa knew Anya was on the brink of losing it completely.

“Family for Blake?” a doctor, clad in scrubs. asked from the doorway.

Four girls rushed to the doctor.

“Which one of you is Octavia’s family?”

They looked at each other.

Lexa cleared her throat, “I am.” It was a lie but she couldn’t bring herself to care about technicalities right now. “How is she?”

The doctor sighed, she couldn’t see any resemblance between this girl and her patient but she also knew these girls had been waiting hours for any sort of update.

“Octavia is out of the woods. We were able to get the bleeding under control and get more blood circulating through her body. She suffered a major laceration to the left leg…” she trailed off, noticing the bloodstained clothes on each of the four girls. “But the bone broke cleanly, so there’s a good chance she’ll get full function back in her leg. The impact from the car also caused a concussion but we’re monitoring it. She was very lucky.”

Raven embraced Clarke and let out a breath she didn’t know she had been holding. Lexa smiled and squeezed Anya’s hand.

“When can we see her?” Anya asked.

“She’s waking up from surgery now, so I’d give it an hour before she can have visitors,” the doctor said, turning away.

She froze and turned back, “Whose idea was it to tie off the blood flow to the leg?”

Clarke bit her lip and raised her hand.

The doctor smiled, “You saved her. If she would’ve lost any more blood, I don’t think she would’ve made it to the hospital. You should consider a career in the medical field.”

Clarke gave the doctor a small smile, “My mom was a doctor. She taught me that.”

“She sounds like a good doctor and a good mom.”

Clarke choked back her emotion, “She was.”

* * *

Lexa took a sip of her coffee and made a face. Hospitals should not be in the coffee-making business. She pushed the door open and blonde hair caught her attention.

“Hey,” she said, taking a seat next to Clarke.

“Hey,” Clarke smiled, wiping a tear from her face.

She offered her the other drink in her hands.

“Bleh!”

Lexa chuckled, “I know. It’s like they want to poison you here.”

Clarke set the drink down and resumed her gaze out at the sunrise.

“You okay?” Lexa asked, breaking the silence a couple moments later.

Clarke nodded, “I’m happy Octavia’s doing well…I just miss my mom. I’ve been so caught up in hating my dad lately that I haven’t had much time to think about her.”

Lexa reached across the shared bench and took Clarke’s hand in hers.

“She’s so proud of you, Clarke.”

Clarke looked down at Lexa’s hand. She took a deep breath and let it out, “I know this probably isn’t the time but do you think I can finish our conversation from earlier?”

Lexa nodded.

_It’s now or never, Griffin._

“I know that you saw me with Finn at the studio. I just need you to know that that wasn’t my doing, Lex. My dad brought him in without telling me and they caught me off guard. I know it’s not an excuse but between that and then the Raven/Lincoln crap, I haven’t had a moment’s rest to go and explain that to you.”

To her credit, Lexa didn’t let go of Clarke’s hand.

“I’m really sorry that I hurt you, Lexa. I’ve been going over and over in my head how I could make it up to you and the next thing I know a week had passed by and…”

Clarke’s rambling was cut off by Lexa’s lips against hers. It had been too long since they’d kissed and their bodies craved each other. When she felt Lexa’s hand grip her hair, Clarke pulled back breathless and rested their foreheads against each other.

“What was that for?”

Lexa grinned, “Thank you for saving my best friend’s life.”

Clarke pulled back, stunned. “Really?!”

“I already knew all of that," Lexa smirked. "Raven felt terrible that she ruined your plan to win me back so she cornered me 15 minutes ago and blurted it all out.”

Clarke laughed, laying her head down on Lexa’s shoulder, “So you just let me go on like an idiot?”

“A very cute idiot,” Lexa whispered, pulling Clarke up by the chin. “An idiot that I’ve missed so much.”

Suddenly, all the tension melted off Clarke. Looking into Lexa’s eyes had that effect on her.

“Are we okay?” Clarke asked, snaking her arms around Lexa’s neck.

“Well…we have things to work on. Like, next time come to me and tell me these things sooner. In turn, I promise to not jump to conclusions. I know as much as anyone how big of a jackass your father is, I would’ve believed you.”

Clarke rested her head against the apex of Lexa’s neck, “I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry you’ve been dealing with this all on your own, Clarke. But from now on, we’re a team and we work through these things together. Promise?”

“Promise.”

Lexa pressed a kiss to her temple and reveled in how good it felt to have Clarke back in her arms again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is part one of a two-part hospital scene. Next time...Octavia and Raven come face-to-face for the first time after the accident, plus a surprise visitor that no one wants to see. ;)


	17. Bring Your Love Baby (I Could Bring My Shame)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Octavia and Raven come face-to-face for the first time after the accident, plus a surprise visitor that no one wants to see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone else's heart a little sore after seeing Lexa in the finale? Mine is :( But we must always remember that Clexa will live on in so many (and better written) pieces of fanfiction for all eternity. 
> 
> Anyways, here's part two of the hospital scene. I'm super excited to bring you guys something many of you have been asking for since Chapter 11. :D As always, send your thoughts in the form of a comment or send some love in the form of kudos! I love hearing from you guys.

Shades of amber and deep lavender painted the morning sky. Outside the hospital, Clarke and Lexa held on tightly to each other – so deeply lost in love.

Raven smiled from the fifth floor window as she watched them. She was happy for them, God knows they both deserved happiness. Did she? She wrapped her arms around herself and turned her attention back to the sunrise. What if Octavia was mad at her for the accident? She had every reason to be. What if she didn’t think Raven was worth all this trouble? She could feel herself falling down the familiar rabbit hold of anxiety.

 “Reyes,” Anya called from Octavia’s room.

Raven took cautious steps down the white linoleum, certain Anya was going to tell her to get lost already. She steadied herself and took a deep breath before she made herself go in.

Anya was sitting in Octavia’s hospital bed, a soothing arm around her friend. Octavia’s make up was gone and her dark locks fell across her shoulders. Her body had obviously been through hell in the last couple hours but her hazel eyes had never been brighter.

“Raven,” she said, reaching out for the girl.

Two syllables out of Octavia’s mouth and all of Raven’s anxiety suddenly melted. 

Anya cleared her throat, “On that note, I’m going to go find Lexa.”

Raven obliged with Octavia’s wishes and took her hand. They looked at each other for a long moment before Raven broke.

“I’m so sorry.”

Octavia frowned at seeing Raven upset and pulled her down next to her.

“It’s okay, Rae,” she whispered, clasping her hands on either side of the other girl’s face. “I’m okay. Promise.”

Octavia swiped Raven’s tears with the pads of her thumb, giving her a smile when brown eyes finally met hazel.

“Anya told me that you held me in your arms until the EMTs pried me out of your hands.”

Raven smiled sheepishly, “I was afraid I’d never see you again.”

O’s heart liquefied in her chest, feeling every ounce of love Raven had for her.

“That’s how I felt when I jumped in front of the car,” Octavia confessed, squeezing Raven’s hand. “That’s the last memory I have until I woke up in the hospital.”  

Tears welled again in Raven’s eyes and Octavia couldn’t take it, “Stop Raven, I’m here and so are you. It’s a good day!”

She pulled Raven into her arms, cord-covered hands immediately entangling themselves in her hair.

It felt so good to feel Octavia’s heartbeat against her chest, it was all Raven needed for the rest of her life.

“Thank you for saving my life,” she whispered, pulling back.

Octavia’s eyes scanned hers, “I would do it again every single day if it meant I got to hold you like this afterwards.”

Raven’s breath hitched in her throat. She couldn’t take it anymore, their past be damned. She closed the space between them and, rougher than she intended, slammed her lips against Octavia’s. It only took a couple moments for a stunned Octavia to come alive under her kiss and soon she was responding, letting her tongue beg for access into Raven’s mouth. Soon they pulled apart, breathless, and collapsed against the back of the bed, still intertwined in each other’s arms.

“I’m sorry, Raven,” Octavia whispered a moment later, turning her head to face her.

Raven pressed her lips together, she knew what O was referring to.

“I know it’s not an excuse but I was honestly scared of this and I let my dickhead brother get in my head. Feeling this for anyone, let alone a girl, is new for me. I thought I was saving you from me and that’s why I hadn’t reached out. But in the split seconds before I decided to jump in front of the car – my heart told me everything I needed to know. I love you, Raven Reyes.”

For a moment, the world froze on its axis. Octavia watched Raven’s face intently for a clue of what she was thinking.

Brown eyes softened.

“I love you too, Octavia Blake.”

They kissed once more and then Octavia couldn’t keep it to herself anymore.

“Do you think we can try this again?”

Raven nodded, “But this time, don’t push me away. Tell me these things and we can work through them together.”

Octavia nuzzled her nose, “Agreed.”

* * *

Anya smirked from the hallway.

_Damn, she was pretty good at fixing this lesbian drama._

The moment didn’t last long. Soon, she saw the mop of hair flying down the hallway and her stomach turned. _Fuck un-updated emergency contacts._

“What the fuck, Bellamy?”

He stopped in front of the room’s doorway, Anya’s body blocking his path.

“Let me in, she’s my sister,” he snarled.

Anya pushed her hands out, striking him in the chest, “Yeah, some brother you are. You’re a piece of shit for the way you’ve treated her.”

Bellamy’s eyes narrowed.

“I might be a piece of shit but at least I’m not a dyke,” he pushed, the force surprising Anya and throwing her into Octavia’s bed.

“Bellamy!” Octavia shouted, wishing she was mobile enough to smack him.

He took in the sight of his little sister entwined with a dark-haired strip club girl. It made him sick.

“So I see the car didn’t knock any morals into you.”

“Will you calm the fuck down?” Raven interrupted. “She just got out of surgery and she doesn’t need this right now.”

“It’s your fault she’s hurt, so I don’t want hear it from you bitch,” Bellamy fired back.

“Anya,” Octavia said slowly. “I want you to make good on your promise to me.”

Anya cracked her knuckles, “Fucking gladly.”

***BOOM***

She threw her weight behind her right hook and Bellamy never saw it coming. He crumpled against the floor.

The three girls watched for movement, but Bellamy was knocked out cold. Silence enveloped the room until…

“Whoa!” Lexa exclaimed. She had just strolled in the room, hand in hand with Clarke. “Damn it, Anya. I called dibs on kicking Bellamy’s ass!”


	18. Take this Pleasure (Take It With the Pain)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven helps Octavia with her physical therapy, Octavia thinks there's better things they can do with their alone time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thanks for being so patient and for all the comments and kudos -- you guys are the best. 
> 
> Warning: Super smutty smut ahead. Enjoy! ;) 
> 
> Also, this is an Octaven-centric chapter.

“One more lap,” Raven said, holding Octavia’s waist from behind.

“I’ll give you two laps if I can have a good luck kiss,” she offered with a wink.

“You drive a hard bargain, but deal,” Raven laughed.

She pressed her lips against the brunette’s, pulling away when Octavia tried to deepen the kiss.

“You get the rest after I see those laps!”

Octavia pouted but began sloshing around in the water, knowing with all certainty that if she fell Raven would catch her.

It had been a couple weeks since Octavia was released from the hospital. Weeks of hard physical therapy to regain movement in her injured leg. At the same time,  it had also been weeks of waking up next to the prettiest girl she’d ever laid eyes on –- all-in-all, O decided it was worth it. The doctors continuously praised her for all the progress she’d made but Octavia knew her progress was due to Raven being her personal cheerleader and after hours therapist. 

This morning, Raven had woken her up at dawn and whisked her two hours east of Los Angeles. When they arrived, Octavia was carried into a rented room at a tiny bed and breakfast built around a hot springs. Their room had a gorgeous view of the desert and complete privacy, equipped with their own bubbling hot spring outside – just steps away from their bed.

“Just two more steps,” Raven whispered, her grip tightening around the exhausted girl.

Octavia urged her body to move forward, her leg shaking underneath her. Before she could respond, her leg went out from under her.  Raven caught her and pulled her tight against the front of her body.

She sat them down on the underwater ledge, letting Octavia’s body rest between her legs.

“Did I push you too hard?”

Octavia looked over her shoulder to see worry building in Raven’s brown eyes.

“No baby, this was good for me. Thank you.”

Raven’s arms encircled Octavia’s med-section and she pressed a kiss to the girl’s dewy temple.

 “I’m really proud of you, O.”

Octavia leaned her body back, letting her head lay against Raven’s neck and propping her legs up on the ledge directly across from them.

“Thank you Rae, but I owe all this progress to you.”

Raven shook her head, “This is all you, O. You’re the strongest person I know.”

Octavia turned to capture Raven’s lips with hers. When she pulled back, she whispered an “I love you” against her lips.

Raven’s heart fluttered, she prayed internally that this feeling would never go away. She grabbed a bottle of red wine that had been waiting on the ledge; Octavia’s second present for completing her pool therapy.

“The doctor said you can have one glass of wine,” Raven reminded her.

Octavia rolled her eyes, well aware of the stupid rule. “You better fill my glass up to the brim then!”

* * *

 

When each had their glass of wine in hand, they nestled back into each other and watched the sun set into the horizon. For a couple quiet moments, all they could do was watch as the sky exploded with color.

“Rae?”

“Hmm?”

Octavia bit her lip, not wanting to ruin the perfect moment, “You need to forgive Lincoln.”

Raven choked on her wine. It was a tough burn to swallow. “Yeah?”

Octavia turned her body until she was seated in Raven’s lap, legs dangling in the water.

“I know you don’t want to talk about it but just hear me out,” she urged. “I know I hurt you the night of Clarke’s party and believe me I promise to make it up to you for the rest of our lives. But Lincoln, he honestly was just being a good friend. I really needed someone to be there for me after what Bellamy said and he was just trying to help. I just can’t forgive myself for ruining your friendship because of my stupid ass brother and my insecurities.”

Raven ran a hand through her wet hair. “It’s not that easy…it’s just…”

“Harper and Wick, I know.”

Raven looked at her, confused.

“Lincoln told me,” Octavia confessed, she wasn’t really helping her case.

Raven exhaled loudly.

“I’m not Harper,” Octavia took Raven’s hand, pressing a chaste kiss to the back of it. “I will never leave you for your friend or because you’re going through some shit. At that same token, Lincoln isn’t Wick. Rae, he loves you.”

Raven hated to admit she was wrong but Octavia did have a point.

“I know you won’t, O. I’ll think about it,” she replied.

Octavia smiled and wrapped her arms around the other girl’s neck. They embraced each other in silence while twilight seeped in around them.

O was already feeling better, maybe it was getting that elephant off her chest or maybe the minerals in the springs were actually healing her leg.

“Do you know why I love you?” Raven asked, breaking the silence. “You truly make me a better person. Anyone else in my life wouldn’t have cared that much to bring up something so uncomfortable for my benefit. You are truly one of a kind, Octavia.”

O melted in Raven’s arms, pressing her lips to the girl’s. As their kiss picked up heat, Octavia found enough mobility to reposition herself until she was straddling Raven’s lap. And suddenly she was very aware of the throbbing between her legs.

She pulled back, heavy lidded-eyes she knew Raven could resist, “Let me make you into a bad girl.”

Raven narrowed her eyes, confused. That is until Octavia reached behind herself and untied her bikini top, tossing it into the water. Raven’s eyes bulged, taking in the sight of the other girl’s chest on full display.

“Uh…” Raven stumbled over her words as Octavia reached around to remove Raven’s bikini top. “You want to have sex out here?”

Lust brimmed over in Octavia’s eyes as she nodded. Raven couldn’t help herself, she pulled O taunt against her body. A small moan left her lips as she felt their bare chests press together. Raven buried herself in Octavia, letting her mouth comfort a nipple – her tongue tracing small circles over the sensitive nub.

“Oh God,” Octavia moaned heavily.

“The neighbors…” Raven reminded her, coming up for air.

“I’ll be quiet, I promise,” O assured her.

Raven gave her a sly smile and pulled at the string that kept Octavia’s bikini bottoms on her body. Octavia felt herself losing control again and so she smashed their lips together. Raven’s hands roamed the girl’s back, enjoying the vibrations from a stifled moan against her lips as she gripped handfuls of ass. One of Raven’s hands snaked between them and she let her fingers slide over Octavia’s clit, feeling the quivering O’s thighs around her. O was holding up her end of the bargain and so Raven rewarded her with two fingers into the girl’s center. Octavia opened her mouth to scream out in pleasure, but instead clamped down onto Raven’s shoulder.

Raven felt Octavia’s walls clench around her and took it as a sign to pick up the speed. She changed her movement into a circular pattern.

“Yes…Rae…oh God…” she panted against her neck.

Raven added a third finger and Octavia lost her mind. Her body took over, hips circling until she was at a comfortable pace and riding Raven’s hand. Soon she felt the orgasm shatter her body and collapsed against Raven’s chest.

Raven was content with just holding Octavia in her arms. She’d be perfectly happy if she just spent the rest of her life holding the girl. When O’s breathing evened, she kissed Raven and let her tongue mingle inside the girl’s mouth – familiarizing herself with it again. She suddenly pulled back, hoping Raven wouldn’t say no.

“Remember what you said we’d get to someday?”

Raven nodded, her mind flashing back to Clarke and Lexa scissoring on Octavia’s couch.

“It’s someday,” Octavia gave her the best sultry eyebrow raise she could possibly manage.

“Your leg…” Raven started, wanting to take care of O despite her own throbbing center.

“I guess you’ll just have to be on top.”

With one properly executed sentence, Raven forgot the mission of the getaway. She hooked Octavia’s legs around her waist and carried her to their bed.

She dropped her on the bed and pulled back, shimmying out of her swimsuit bottoms and tossing them to the floor. Octavia spread her legs wide, inviting Raven to join her. Raven carefully positioned herself to rest her weight on Octavia’s uninjured leg. As she ground her hips down, O threw her head back losing herself in the pleasure she’d never felt before. The way the heat between them met was itself enough to make her come again and then Raven started moving her hips back and forth. She picked up speed when Octavia dug her nails into the flesh at Raven’s waist, keeping their centers aligned.

“Fuck,” Raven panted, their movements becoming frantic.

Octavia pried her eyes open to watch the pleasure on Raven’s face. She let go and stretched her hands out to grip the bed, her orgasm washing over her again. Raven tossed her head back as she came, wet hair whipping against her back.

Eventually, Raven found her body resting between O’s legs as the girl peppered kisses all over her face.

“Thank you,” Octavia whispered, hazel eyes meeting brown.

“For the scissoring?” Raven asked, giving her a wink.

O smiled, her heart suddenly fuller than it had ever been, “For loving me.”

Raven's heart stopped in her chest, realizing this was the first time anyone besides Anya and Lexa had shown true love to O.

"I will always love you, Octavia."

The two spend the rest of the evening in each other's arms, moonlight spilling in through the window. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, send me your thoughts in a comment! I hope to get the next chapter of this up soon and nothing motivates me more than all the comments from you lovely humans.


	19. You're the Same Old Song

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke works on her studio, Lexa has an unwelcomed visitor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Sorry it's been awhile since I updated. I had pride last weekend and then a house guest to entertain. Thank you to everyone who commented on the last chapter, it truly made my day that you took the time to write me such thoughtful things. All I had to do was reread them and I was instantly inspired to pick up this chapter -- so keep them coming! ;) 
> 
> As always, enjoy & send me your thoughts in a kudo or comment!

She couldn’t take the nagging anymore.

_Clarke do this, Clarke you suck at that._

“Clarke! Didn’t I tell you to get the electricity turned on this week?” Finn yelled from across the studio.

Clarke exhaustively sighed, blowing her fallen blonde hair out of her eyes.

“Fuck,” she groaned under her breath. “I forgot.”

Finn stomped over and crossed his arms, looking down at her. Clarke placed the paint brush back in its tray and looked up.

“I’m sorry, Finn,” she offered. “I’ve just had a lot going on lately…”

“YOU’VE had a lot going on? Please,” he exclaimed, holding a hand up to silence her. “I’ve practically built this entire studio myself.”

It was a lie and they both knew it. Clarke had re-plastered and painted the studio’s walls, bought and installed new light fixtures, mirrors and a ballet bar.  She’d even taught her how to install flooring and last night she’d pulled an all-nighter putting in new hard wood floor panels. Lexa, the only person who volunteered, helped until she’d passed out in a corner. Still, Clarke glued and placed flooring until the sun came up.

Literally, the only thing she hadn’t done was call the damn electrician.

“I should’ve know you were too stupid to run your own studio. Should've stuck to being a whore for the rest of your life, at least you were good at that.” Finn said, walking away.

Clarke stared after him as the emotions swelled in her chest. Finally, she allowed herself to drop her head in her hands and choke back a sob.

_Fuck Finn._

* * *

Lexa exhaled, letting the stress roll off her shoulders. She took a swig of water and plopped herself down besides Lincoln. They’d just finished a three hour studio session, working on new music for a showcase he was really excited about.

“You tired?” he asked, looking as she sprawled out over her side of the couch.

“You’d think I’d have stamina after doing this for so long but damn…” Lexa explained, searching her brain for the right words.

She and Lincoln had something really special. She’d hadn’t been this comfortable writing music with someone else in a long time. She spent many sleepless nights thinking about what kind of future they could build together career-wise.

“We just mesh so well that it’s like I can’t relax until the next cord is written,” he finished.

“Exactly!”

After a couple quite moments, Lexa reached for her phone and discovered she had a missed call from Clarke.

“Hey Lex?” Lincoln asked, rubbing the back of his neck. “Do you think I could ask something that’s none of my business?”

Lexa, distracted by Lincoln’s words, put her phone down and mentally remarked that she’d call Clarke after this conversation.

“Yeah…”

“How’s Raven doing?” he started, before backtracking. “I know Octavia’s the one who was hurt and all but we talk about her all the time. I just…worry about Raven…she was my responsibility for such a long time.”

Lexa nodded, “She’s doing well, Linc. She’s helping Octavia with her therapy and they just left on a hot springs getaway. That’s about all I know, sorry.”

Lincoln mustered a small smile for Lexa, “Thank you.”

***Knock, knock***

Lexa and Lincoln looked to each other, they weren’t expecting anyone.

“I hope you don’t mind,” a voice said from the doorway. “I heard music and I just couldn’t resist…but you know that don’t you, Lexa?”

* * *

Clarke pulled her cardigan closer around her body as she walked, practically jogged up the street. The tears wouldn’t stop falling from her eyes. It had to be a mixture of exhaustion and Finn’s ugly words. She didn’t know how much more abuse she could possibly take. The anxious feeling of failing was growing steadily in her chest and it scared her because she hadn’t felt like this since she was in a relationship with Finn.

_I just need Lexa, hold it together. I just need Lexa._

Clarke repeated the mantra over and over in her head, willing herself not to break down yet.

She took the familiar stairs to Lexa’s studio two at a time, anxious as ever to see her girlfriend. She turned the corner and the look on Lexa’s face through the clear window grabbed her attention.

“Costia?” Lexa asked.

Clarke’s heart stopped in her chest.  

* * *

“Costia?” Lexa asked, her heart sinking to the bottom of her stomach.

“Hello, Lexa,” the dark-haired girl said, the name rolling off her lips smoothly.

Lincoln knew enough from the tabloids to know that Costia had abandoned Lexa and he’d been around drunk Anya enough to know that she was persona non grata.

“What do you want?” he spat out.

Costia eyed him, moving closer to Lexa, “I see you finally got yourself a body guard.”

Lexa gritted her teeth, fingers moving into fists at her side.

“What do you want, Costia?” Lexa asked behind her gritted teeth.

“I want you,” she said, confidently taking a step towards Lexa.

Lexa, in turn, took a step backwards.

“Well I don’t want you.”

Costia pressed her lips into a thin line.

“Lexa, you know you can’t write hits without your muse,” she tried once more, extending her hands to Lexa’s shoulders.

Blonde hair blurred through the room before Lexa had time to react.

“She’s got a new muse, bitch!” Clarke stated, pushing herself in front of Lexa and coming face-to-face with Costia. “I’m a much better muse, a prettier muse. So you better watch where you put those hands or I might just break them off and shove them up your ass.”

Costa scoffed and looked past Clarke to Lexa.

“My muse and I would like you to get the fuck out,” Lexa gestured to the door.

“This isn’t the end of this,” Costa spat, as Lincoln ushered her out. “We have a contract we have to fulfill, Lexa.”

When Clarke heard Lincoln shut the door behind him, she crumpled into Lexa’s arms.

“Baby?” Lexa asked, concerned and shaken from the previous incident. “Are you okay?”

Clarke shook her head, hot tears soaking into the shoulder of Lexa’s t-shirt.

“I think it’s time to give up the studio,” Clarke sobbed, letting Lexa squeeze her tight.


	20. I Got My Heart Right Here (I Got My Scars Right Here)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke and Lexa drink their problems away with good company, Lincoln and Raven talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lovely readers, hello! It's been too long. The Orlando massacre really broke my heart and I had a hard time getting into this chapter for awhile. But I finally got it all written and it's actually twice the size of a normal chapter for this fic. I hope you enjoy and as always, send me those thoughts! They're appreciated and loved :)

“So then he tells me I’m too stupid to run my own studio and that I should’ve stuck to being a whore,” Clarke recalls, earning gasps from her friends.

Anya takes a swig of her beer and offers, “My right hook is out of commission currently but I’m still a pretty decent shot with my left.”

A small smile breaks onto Clarke’s face, she enjoys Anya’s wit.

Octavia groans, letting her neck rotate until she feels the crack she’d been craving.

“Why are all the boys in our lives such dick heads?” Raven incurs.

Clarke looks at her best friend and bites her lip, “Not all of them are, Rae.”

Octavia shifts uncomfortably in her seat on the couch, wedged between the blonde and brunette. She knows how this conversation is going to go.

“You okay, babe?” Raven asks.

“I’ve had to pee for the last 15 minutes,” Octavia confesses. “My bladder feels like it’s the size of Texas but I didn’t want to interrupt.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, “ Clarke whispers with an embarrassed look on her face, she didn’t mean to talk about herself for that long.

“It’s okay, I really wanted to hear it.”

Raven stands and pulls Octavia’s arm around her neck before pulling the girl to her feet. She patiently shadows her on the slow walk to the restroom. Raven looks like a mom whose kid just took their first steps.

Clarke smiles and her heart swells a tiny bit. She’s happy Raven’s happy, God knows she deserves to be after everything she’s been through.

Raven returns to the couch, grumbling under her breath. Clarke inquires with a concerned look and Raven shrugs.

“Said she needed me to stop hovering long enough to pee…apparently that’s where she draws the line.”

Clarke and Anya chuckle simultaneously.

“She wants to keep the romance alive,” Clarke assures her.

When the room quiets, Anya clears her throat and stands up.

“Now that I have the two of you alone…” she begins, taking center stage of the living room. “This is your first and only warning. You break my girl’s hearts…I break your face. Got it?”

Raven and Clarke audibly swallow, not brave enough to do anything but nod in agreement.

“Good, with that said I really enjoy having you guys around,” Anya smiles, awkwardly. She hadn’t had to put her friendship skills to work since she’d met Lexa and Octavia in college.

“Home sweet awkward silence…what’d you do to them, An?” Lexa asks from the doorway, keys and a six-pack dangling from her hand.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Lex. As always, I’m a perfect angel.”

Lexa raises her eyebrows as she sets her things down on her living room table and rushes over to kiss Clarke. Raven and Anya make kissy noises until Clarke pulls back, laughing too hard to continue the kiss. Lexa pops the top off a beer and hands it to the blonde.

***Knock, knock***

“Come in!” Lexa bellows from her seat next to Clarke.

Lincoln pokes his head in, “I could’ve been a murderer and you just leave the front door unlocked?”

Raven shifts uncomfortably, wishing she would’ve ignored Octavia’s wishes and stayed in the bathroom with her.

“Well then you would’ve been a murderer with booze and I’m okay with that,” Lexa jokes. “Besides, we left the studio at the same time, I knew you’d be right behind me.”

Lincoln smiles and puts a bottle of tequila down on the table for the gathering.

“Hey Linc!” Octavia says, slowly making her way back from the bathroom. Her leg doesn’t quite follow the rest of her body and before she can react, she’s falling.

“Whoa!” Lincoln grabs her, catching her before she hits the floor.

Raven jumps up, anger already bubbling inside her chest.

“I’ve got it,” she spits, wrapping her arms around Octavia’s body and helping the girl back to the extended leg of the couch.

Lincoln, stunned, looks to Lexa and Clarke who both shrug. Clarke had hoped Octavia would’ve worked her magic on Raven during their getaway but Raven was clearly still the same stubborn ass she’d always been.

“I’m okay,” Octavia assures Raven, leaning back on throw pillows. “But Rae, it’s time.”

Raven’s brown eyes search hazel ones, knowing exactly what Octavia is eluding to.

“Please?”

Raven takes a deep breath and turns around to her former friend.

“Can I have a minute?” she directs to Lincoln.

Lincoln nods and watches Raven walk past him without looking at him.

Lexa hands him two beers, “I have a feeling you’re going to need these.”

Lincoln grimaces and follows Raven out the front door, quickly greeting Jasper and Monty as they head inside to the gathering.

Lincoln makes quick work of opening the beers and hands one to Raven before joining her on the front steps. She takes it and slams some of it back, letting the cool liquid rush down the back of her throat. They sit in silence for a moment while she screws with the brace around her leg.

“Is it bothering you today?” Lincoln asks, wondering if she’ll slap him for bringing up the subject of her leg.

“Yeah, it’s been pretty sore ever since Octavia’s accident,” she confesses.

Lincoln nods, not knowing who’s going to bring up the elephant between them.

“I’m sorry,” Raven spits out, not quite meeting Lincoln’s eyes.

“I’m sorry too, Rae.”

“No, Lincoln. I know you were just trying to be a good friend to Octavia and I shouldn’t hold that against you.”

Lincoln swallows audibly, “You think I did that for Octavia’s benefit?”

Raven nods.

He shakes his head, “Raven, I went after her because I knew your heart was too broken to. I went after her for you.”

For the first time since the night of the party in question, Raven looks Lincoln in the eye.

“But you were holding her hand against your chest.”

Lincoln thinks back to that night, trying to remember why he had done that.

“I was trying to ground her, Rae. She was talking craziness about how no one loves her and that she hurts people, I didn’t want her to go off and hurt herself in the forest.”

Now that she knew what Bellamy had said her, she could only imagine what state of mind Octavia had been in. She must’ve been really distraught.

“Besides, how many times have I held you or Clarke when you guys were upset?” Lincoln asks, putting his hand down on her knee.

Suddenly, the anger she felt towards him melted off her body.

“Too many.”

Raven wrapped her arms around him, realizing just how much she’d missed him.

“I will never hurt you on purpose, I’m not them,” Lincoln whispers, burying a hand in her hair during their long embrace. As much as he hadn’t admitted to himself, he’d really missed his girls.

* * *

“Should we go out there?” Octavia asks, worried.

Clarke smiles at her, “No, I’ve been listening for yelling. They’re okay.”

Suddenly the front door opened and Lincoln and Raven burst in, arm in arm and laughing.

“Oh thank God, I was worried I’d have to turn the hose on you two if things got out of control,” Lexa jokes, scooting closer to Clarke to make room for them on the couch.

“We made up,” Lincoln assures her, a smile plastered to his face.

“I’m so happy to hear that,” Clarke said, squeezing Raven’s hand and pulling Lincoln into a half-hug.

When the moment was over, Lincoln shifted his attention to his tequila and went on the search for shot glasses.

“So…I heard the Finn story from Clarke. What’s your plan, Lexa?” Anya asks.

Lexa runs a hand through her wavy hair, “Short of Clarke letting me buy out her dad’s share, I don’t know.”

“No, I wanted to do this on my own and I don’t want to have to depend on your money to bring my dream to life,” Clarke sighs.

Lexa pulls her into her arms, “I know babe, but it’s not worth the shit he’s putting you through.”

Clarke looks to the floor, sadden by the thought of giving up her studio. Maybe it was time.

“Did you tell them about the other shitty surprise we had?” Lincoln asks, knowing Clarke wants a change of subject. 

Lexa’s eyes bulge – this isn’t going to go over well with Anya and Octavia.

“What’s he talking about?” Anya narrows her eyes.

Lexa lets out an exasperated sigh, “Costia showed up at my studio today.”

“WHAT?!” Anya explodes.

Lexa nods, waiting for the inevitable string of questions and cuss words to leap out of her friends’ mouths.  

“I always knew that bitch would be back,” Octavia snarls. “You okay?”

Lexa pulls Clarke closer, “Yeah, my attack-dog girlfriend put her in her place. Told her she was ugly and then threatened her bodily harm if she touched me again.”

Anya throws her arms up in the air in celebration, “Fuck yes, Griffin!”

“That’s my girl!” Raven exclaims.

Lexa presses a kiss to the blonde’s temple and whispers, “My girl.”

“So what’d she want?” Octavia asks.

Lexa shrugs, “As Lincoln was kicking her ass out, she said something about a contract. It’s not a surprise, I knew they didn’t void our contract when she abandoned the duo. The studio wants an album but I’m never working with her again.”

Lincoln stares at the shots he has lined up for his friends when the idea hits him. He has a way to solve all their problems…maybe.  It was too early to say, so until he can figure it out they’re going to drink their problems away.

“Bottoms up, ladies!”


	21. You've Got Me Putting Time In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lexa and Costia face the music execs, Clarke and Lexa christen the new dance studio.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been 12 days since I updated & last chapter some of you said you had a hard time remembering what had happened previously. So here's a (small & not complete) recap:  
> Clarke stripper, Lexa musician. Girl meets girl & falls in love after some intense lap dances. Lexa falls on her ass trying to win Clarke over and delivers an epically smooth pick up line. Lexa convinces Clarke to pursue her dream of opening a dance studio, but she needs the financial backing of her dad. Jake's a big douche who hires Clarke's emotionally abusive ex boyfriend to help her with studio.  
> Meanwhile, Raven & Octavia fall in love. Bellamy, who's a big homophobic douche screws that up. All couples break up over misunderstandings and Raven kicks her friend/roommate Lincoln to the curb in a rage. Octavia is hit by a car, which brings everyone back together again. Octavia relearns to walk, Raven makes amends with Lincoln. Finn out-douches himself, Costia returns to ruin Lexa's life. Lincoln has a plan! 
> 
> And that's where we left off...  
> Enjoy & let me know your thoughts :)  
> *Octaven not in this chapter.

“So I assume you know why I called you both into my office today.”

Lexa rolls her eyes and sinks lower into her seat. She feels like a kid in trouble with the principal. It had taken a lot of willpower and adulting on her behalf to show up to this meeting. Lincoln had insisted on coming with her. Clarke had offered too but Lexa had turned the blonde’s offer down fairly quickly, not wanting any fights to break out in front of the big bosses.

“You want an album from us,” Lexa seethes.

The music exec -- David something, Lexa remembers -- nods.

Lexa takes the quiet moment to compose herself. When she’s fairly certain she’s not going to throttle anyone, she clears her throat.

“With all due respect, I’m only here to tell you that I refuse to work with Costia ever again.”

Costia stares at the carpet, Lexa is still stubborn as ever. But it doesn’t matter, the law is the law. It really doesn’t matter what Lexa wants, they signed a contract.

“There’s nothing we can do to change your mind?” David asks, looking between Lexa and Costia.

Lexa shakes her head vigorously.

“Well…Ms. Woods, you signed a contract with us to produce an album. I really don’t think you want to take us on in a court of law.”

Lexa straightens her spine, feeling the tension already forming in her back.

“I’m prepared to give you an album, but it’ll be a solo album,” she responds.

David lets out a chuckle, “And we’d love to produce your solo album. I personally think it would be a fantastic move for the company but…you signed a contract for a duo and I’m sorry but we’ve held up our end of the deal. Now it’s your turn.”

Lincoln shifts uncomfortably in his seat at the back of the room. The air is so thick with tension, he’s certain the windows of the high-rise they’re currently sitting in are going to crack.

Lexa bites on her bottom lip. Costia crosses her legs, smug.

“I’m not working with her,” Lexa states, her words measured and pointed.

“Grow up, Lexa! Be an adult for once in your life,” Costia spits back.

_That’s it._

Lexa turns sharply and makes eye contact with Costia for the first time since she’d walked into the office.

“Me be an adult? I’m sorry, out of the two of us who abandoned whom to chase after some pipedream? I’m guessing that didn’t work out too well for you.”

“Oh, go fuck yourself. Just because you can’t get your way…”

“Fuck myself? You fuck yourself…”

Lincoln can’t take it anymore.

“STOP.”

Every head in the room turns to stare at him, Lexa’s jaw drops slightly to the floor. She’d never heard Lincoln shout before.

“I have an idea. Can I speak freely?”

David nods, cueing him to continue.

“You’ve made it clear that you are not willing to let Lexa out of the contract. At the same time, you’re insisting she be part of a duo to complete this album. Well, I can be that duo.”

“This is bullshit, he’s not part of our contract,” Costia interrupts.

“Let him speak, Costia,” David says, eyes filled with intrigue.

Lincoln continues, shuffling through his phone while he speaks, “We’ve been working together for months now and I think we make fantastic music together.”

He finds the file he needs to prove his point. The room listens to their song and David leans back in his chair, folding his hands to this chest.

As the last line plays, David speaks up, “I’m prepared to accept your offer, young man.”

“WHAT?!” Costia jumps up.

“Your contract with us was broken the moment you decided to leave the group, Costia. The way I see it, you abandoned us and Lexa stayed to fulfill her duties. Therefore, I’m granting a rewrite of the contract to include…” David looks for clarification from Lexa.

“Lincoln,” Lexa responds, beaming at him across the room.  

“And Costia, we’ll see you in court.”

* * *

“God, I wish I could’ve seen the look on her face!” Clarke gushed, finishing off a glass of wine from a bottle Lexa had brought to her studio in celebration.

“It looked like this,” Lexa said, bulging her eyes out and throwing a hand across her chest dramatically.

Clarke giggled, swatting playfully at Lexa. Lexa took the opportunity to catch the Clarke's flying hand and pull her in closer, the two of them collapsing in a fit of giggles against the hardwood floor.  

“I love you,” Clarke sighed, turning her body to face Lexa’s.

“I love you too, Clarke,” Lexa responds, a smile permanently plastered to her face.

Clarke propped herself up on one arm. She hadn’t said those words to Lexa since the night of her party, before everything in their lives had taken an unfortunate leap off a cliff.

“Lexa, you are literally the best thing to ever happen to me,” Clarke said, voice cracking. “Without you, I wouldn’t have pursued this dream. Look at all this.”

Clarke gestured around the studio, the two girls looking around at all the mirrors, bars…almost everything Clarke needs to teach the next generation of dancers.

“I’m so thankful for you.”

Lexa reaches out, pulling the girl into her lap, “Clarke, you sound like I’m going somewhere. I’m right here, baby.”

Clarke shakes her head, tears pooling in her blue eyes.

“I’m just really appreciative of you. My life was hell before you came along and it’s still hell occasionally, but you always bring me so much laughter and love. I know I can make it through all this crap that’s going on if I just have you on my side.”

“I’ll always be on your side, Griffin.”

Clarke smiled blissfully, feeling the anxiety and tension melting away from her body.  She pressed her lips against Lexa’s, begging for entrance. When it’s granted, the energy between them shifts and suddenly a simple kiss is just not enough.

In a flurry, clothes are ripped off, shoes kicked away and their hands starve for one another. Clarke shifts her weight until she’s pushed them down to the floor.

Lexa moans, feeling the weight of the blonde between her legs. There really wasn’t any better feeling in the world besides Clarke against the most intimate area of her body.

Clarke smiles, feeling Lexa buck at her midsection – her cue of desperately needing friction. She could give Lexa her knee or even her clit to rub against, but where’s the fun in that?

Instead Clarke moves her tongue at a snail’s pace down Lexa’s body, between the peaks of her breasts and making a quick dip at her belly button. By the time she’s makes it between her thighs, Lexa’s entire body is a trembling ball of nerves. Clarke spreads her open, pinning down her legs as she dives in, knowing Lexa will orgasm in mere moments under her tongue.

“Oh God,” Lexa moans loudly, reaching for anything to hold on to. She grabs all around her, finding nothing but hard flooring so she extends her hands down her own body until she’s tangled her fingers in Clarke’s hair, pushing the girl’s mouth deeper.

Lexa comes with her legs clamped around Clarke’s head, surely suffocating the blonde. When Clarke escapes, she licks her lips and climbs Lexa’s body, resting on a heaving chest.

“I think we broke your floor,” Lexa pants, pressing down against a squeaky piece of flooring.

Clarke giggles, burying her face in Lexa’s chest, “That’s going to be an interesting story to tell my students.”

“You think that’s funny?” Lexa teases, reaching a hand down to her body to find Clarke’s apex. Clarke’s giggles subside into moans as Lexa pushes her fingers into Clarke’s soaking wet center. Clarke sits up, allowing Lexa more access. It’s probably the most she’s ever been turned on, Clarke thinks, as she rides Lexa’s fingers. She rotates her hips, letting Lexa feel every angle of her. And then Lexa curls her fingers.

Clarke moans so loudly she doesn’t even recognize the voice coming out of her own body. Lexa smiles, she could listen to that sound for the rest of her days.

And it hits Lexa like a ton of bricks.

Clarke’s riding the wave of orgasm, when she opens her eyes to look at Lexa.

“What…what’s wrong?”

Lexa shakes her head, giving Clarke permission to go over the edge. 

_This isn’t the moment. Right?_

Clarke’s head falls back on her shoulders and her walls squeeze Lexa’s fingers tight.

_Fuck it._

“Marry me, Clarke,” Lexa pleads, breathlessly.

“What?” Clarke’s asks, sure her ears are playing tricks on her post-orgasm.

“You said I was the best thing that’s ever happened to you,” Lexa starts, sitting up to face Clarke.

“You are.”

“You said we could get through anything as long as we’re together.”

“We can.”

“You light up my entire world, Clarke Griffin. You said I bring you laughter and well...you bring me happiness. You are the love of my life. What if we spend the rest of our days happy and laughing? Let’s give each other something we both haven’t had in a long time.”

Clarke furrows her brow, confused.

“A family,” Lexa explains.

Clarke can feel her heart pounding out of her chest and the world slowing on its axis.

“Will you marry me, Clarke?”

Clarke blinks, willing herself to move.

It’s the longest second of Lexa’s life.

Slowly, the feeling comes back to her body and Clarke’s mouth forms a smile and she nods.

“Yes.”

The two embrace each other for a long time. The world and all of their problems nowhere in sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :D Who saw that coming?
> 
> Well, this fic has been so much fun to write and I've enjoyed every moment of it. I've got about one more chapter left and then it will be complete. :/ 
> 
> As always, send me your thoughts & kudos, they mean the world to me!


	22. I'm So Glad We're Acquainted.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The finale.  
> Octaven has a moment, Clarke opens her dance studio.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To all you beautiful human beings who stuck with me to the end of this: Thank you. This story was all for you.  
> I've been reading/writing fanfiction since I was about 12 years old and honestly, I've never finished writing a series until this one. To my best friend, Maria -- who convinced me to write for this fandom, I can't thank you enough. Canon Clexa broke so many of our hearts. Writing Acquainted helped me heal and I hope it helped you guys heal from the devastating loss of our Commander Lexa. Always remember that Clexa will continue to live on in our writing and let's always support each other in it. 
> 
> Enjoy & as always, send me your thoughts! <3

_The smell of Octavia’s hair is something Raven could spend the rest of her days smelling._

It’s her first conscious thought as the morning light seeps in through the bedroom window. She shifts her hips until she’s flush against Octavia’s butt.

“Mmm…good morning to you too,” Octavia says in her raspy morning voice.

“I don’t know what you’re referring to but good morning, babe,” Raven plays off innocently.

“Sure you don’t.” Octavia scoots herself closer to Raven, gripping tighter to the arms around her waist.

“I don’t want to get out of this bed today,” Raven whines.

“Then let’s not.”

That’s what she loves about Octavia, she’s an enabler when it’s appropriate and not afraid to hand her her ass when Raven needs it.

“You think Clarke will be cool with us blowing off her opening?”

Octavia giggles, “I don’t think so babe.”

“Damn.”

Things in their lives had taken a much needed timeout. Raven had been helping Clarke out at the studio during the day, getting paperwork and licenses in order, and she was pretty close to quitting her bartending gig at The Ark. As soon as they got some clients at the studio, Clarke would be able to hire a full-time building manager and Raven was top of the list as far as candidates went. She was trying very hard not to hold her breath though, Finn was still legally in charge of the hiring and he hated Raven’s guts _almost_ as much as she hated him.

Octavia had been working on her physical therapy and also attending counseling for her family issues. Yesterday had been a big milestone for the Blake family, it had been the 10th anniversary of Octavia and Bellamy’s mom’s death. Raven had drove Octavia to the cemetery, but O had insisted on making the visit alone. Bellamy had shown up and Raven had been tempted to get out of the car, but Octavia said a couple words to him and walked back. Raven hadn’t pushed her about the exchange but rather rented Octavia’s favorite chick flick and then held her all night.

“I saw Bellamy yesterday,” Octavia said, turning over to face Raven.

“Did his face heal nicely?”

Octavia smiled, “No.”

Raven ran her fingers through the girl’s hair, waiting for her to be ready to talk about the encounter.

“I told him that I'm gay, that you’re in my life to stay and that if he can’t accept that then he’s going to lose me. And then I walked away.”

Raven pressed a kiss to O’s temple, “I’m proud of you.”

“She would’ve been proud of me, I can see that now. She was always my biggest fan and while I’m thankful that Bellamy stepped in after she died, he’s not my father. I don’t owe him anything, especially after what he’s said.”

“You’re okay with that?” Raven asked, curiously.

“I will be.”

Raven pulled Octavia into a full embrace, burying her face in the girl’s hair and thinking about just how much progress Octavia had made since they’d met.

“I don’t tell you this nearly enough but I’m really happy with you, Rae.”

Raven pulled back, looking into hazel eyes, “I’m really happy with you too, O.”

“I think we should move in together,” Octavia blurted out, a tad louder than she intended.

“Yeah?”

Suddenly, Octavia was very nervous.

“I just think we spend so much time together and we’re both in this relationship for the long haul, like why not, and if that’s not what you want then its okay…”

Raven giggled, cutting O off with a kiss.

“It’s exactly what I want,” she whispered against Octavia’s lips.

Octavia let out a deep breath, relieved.

“Besides, we get caught having sex a lot and Anya’s been complaining about how loud you are when you come…” she teases.

Raven sits up in bed, sheets pooling at her waist.

“Excuse me! I’m loud? You’re the one trying to wake up every resident of West Hollywood every time we have sex!”

Octavia full-belly laughs at Raven and tackles her back on to the bed.

“I’m gonna need you to prove that.”

* * *

Clarke has been busy all day, but as she stands in her office staring at the engagement ring on her finger, every thought about the opening slips from her mind. It’s a beautiful ring, almost identical to her mom’s ring. She and Lexa had gone ring shopping that week and when Lexa showed it to her, Clarke started crying.

Her life had taken a turn for the better this week. First Lexa asks her to marry her and then Finn just disappears into thin air? Someone was smiling down on her from above – she liked to think it was her mom.

“Well imagine seeing you here, soon-to-be Mrs. Griffin-Woods,” a voice said as its owner wrapped their arms around Clarke’s midsection.

“Lexa,” Clarke whispered, relaxing in the girl’s arms.

“You’ve got a lot of people out there waiting for you to kick this thing off, you ready?”

Clarke smiled, turning around to face her fiancée, “Only if you go with me.”

Lexa grins, pressing her lips into the blonde’s. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

* * *

“So Finn just never showed up for work, like all week?” Octavia asks.

Clarke shakes her head, “The money for the opening was in the studio's bank account, way more than I thought he was going to give me. I haven’t heard from him or my father in a week, I don’t know what happened but I’m so damn happy it did.”

The opening had gone off without a hitch, at this point they already 100 girls and about 15 boys signed up for classes. Clarke had mingled with more potential investors than she’d ever imagined. Currently, she was circled by her group of friends, having wine and waiting for Lincoln to arrive so he and Lexa could kick off the entertainment portion of the event.

“SO you think you’re just going to steal my ideas and kick me to the curb?!” someone shouts from the doorway of the studio.

**Finn.**

“Huh?” Clarke asks, confused beyond belief.

“You can’t do this to me, this is my livelihood, Clarke,” Finn exclaims, strolling over to her.

“What are you talking about?” 

Lexa moves to her side, protectively.

“You, you little whore!” He yells. “You just take and take from everybody and then call daddy to bail you out of trouble.”

“I didn’t do anything to you!”

“You fired me!”

Clarke takes a step back, “I didn’t even know I had the power to fire you. Otherwise, I would’ve done it months ago!”

Finn laughs errily, “Well if you didn’t, who did?”

“I did,” Lincoln says from the doorway. “I took an advance out on my contract with the label and bought Jake’s shares of Clarke’s studio.”

“Lincoln!” Clarke exclaims, reaching out to hug her friend. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“When you believe in your friends like I do, you have to,” he states, holding Clarke close. “I want your dream to come true, Clarke…without this psycho.”

“Fuck you guys, I’ll see you in court!” Finn shouts. “Sooner or later, you’ll learn Clarke’s nothing but a stupid bitch who opens her legs…”

**BOOM.**

Lexa watches as Finn crumples to the ground, “I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time. You’ve done nothing but treat the girl I love like shit. You are scum on this earth, so kindly get the fuck out.”

Finn grumbles, holding his face, and walks away in shame.

Anya starts the slow clap. Clarke beams, pulling Lexa into a kiss as the room joins in on the clapping. Clarke wraps her hands around Lexa’s neck and whispers her thanks across Lexa’s lips.

“EXCUSE ME!”  Raven shouts, pulling at Clarke’s hand. “What is that?”

_The engagement ring._

Clarke and Lexa glance to one another, they were going to wait until after the opening to tell their friends.

“Umm…surprise!” Lexa exclaims, waving her ring finger too.

“Woods!” Anya exclaims, pulling her best friend into a hug.

“Congrats, girl!” Octavia exclaims, pulling Clarke into her arms. 

Raven shakes her head but smiles nonetheless.

“What’s that look for, Reyes?” Clarke asks, her ring still on display in front of Octavia’s face.

Raven continues to shake her head, “You just always gotta upstage me, don’t you Griffin?”

“Are you guys getting married too?” Clarke asks, taken aback.

“WHOA! Slow down, blondie. The girl just barely asked me to move in with her!”

The five girls continued to gush over each other’s news, until it all hits Anya.

“Damn, now I’m gonna have to get new roommates!” she says to no one in particular.

Lexa laughs, throwing an arm around her shoulders, “You’ve still got me until the wedding, there’s time An.”

Lincoln smiles at them from across the room as he strums out the first note, “As we celebrate this beautiful studio’s opening, let’s all remember why we’re here – to dance! This one’s for my girls, all of them. May you always have happiness, good friends and love.”

Lexa and Clarke blow kisses to him, Raven winks and Octavia beams. Lexa leads Clarke out to the center of the dance floor. They hold each other as Lincoln’s words melt through the air.

Octavia presses her lips to Raven’s as they dance. The public display of affection is a first for them and Octavia can't wait for all the firsts to come.

Lexa presses her forehead to Clarke’s, swaying slowly with the beat.

“I love you,” she whispers.

“I love you,” Clarke whispers back.

**CREEK.**

The girls looked down to the floor and back at each other before bursting out in a fit of laughter. They just might never fix that floor.

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on tumblr @ dealingwithaheart-i-didnt-break.tumblr.com


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